Vertical migration effects on the dispersion and recruitment of European anchovy larvae: From spawning to nursery areas

► We model the egg and larval transport of anchovy in Mediterranean. ► We examine the influence of biological behavior on the dispersion and recruitment. ► The position of larvae at recruitment can be influenced by diel vertical migration. ► The schooling is facilitated by the inclusion of egg-buoyancy and DVM. ► Our model can explain the interannual variability in anchovy recruitment.