Striped weakfish (Cynoscion guatucupa) population structure in waters adjacent to Rio de la Plata, environmental influence on its inter-annual variability

The springtime temporal variations of striped weakfish (Cynoscion guatucupa) population structure available to the commercial fishery and its relationship to environmental factors were evaluated in the Uruguayan coastal zone (35° −33.4°S), from 86 stations sampled in 1994, 98, 99 and 2003. We examined the inter-annual variability of age-class structure over four years under different oceanographic conditions: (1) 1998 (El Niño year) was characterized by elevated water temperature; (2) 1999 (La Niña year) was characterized by decreased water temperature; and (3) 1994 and 2003 were 'typical years' with intermediate values in those parameters. To determine whether or not major shifts in population structure occurred between years we used ANOSIM and SIMPER analysis to determine which age-class typified and discriminated between years. A canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was used to define the temporal pattern of age-class structure of C. guatucupa and to estimate its associations with environmental factors (depth, temperature, salinity, vertical stratification, and zonal and meridional component of the wind). The C. guatucupa population structure showed significant difference between 1998 and 1999 and 1994-2003. During 1998 and 1999, the population structure was dominated by adults (between 4 and >7 age-class), while that in 1994 and 2003 was dominated by juveniles (between 0 and 3 age-class). CCA results indicated that zonal wind and salinity has a major influence on the temporal pattern of C. guatucupa population structure. Juvenile population structure was associated with low salinities and occurred when the wind field forced an inflow of freshwater into the marine coastal area from the Rio de la Plata estuary, while the adult structure, associated with high salinities, occurred when the area was dominated by a wind driven inflow of higher salinity shelf water. These results support the hypothesis that the short-term environmental synoptic condition has a greater influence on the distribution and population structure of C. guatucupa than long-term environmental variability.