Composition of fish larvae in the central creeks of Bushehr province, Persian Gulf in 2013-2014

This study was carried out to identify the taxonomic composition of fish larvae collected bimonthly in waters of Bushehr to Genaveh in six stations (Five creeks: Shif, Lashkari, Ramleh, Farakeh, Dubbeh, and one station in the seashore) in norhtern Persian Gulf, Iran, from June 2013 to April 2014. Fish larvae were sampled usinga Bongo-net (diameter, 60 cm; mesh size, 300 µm).A total of 21440 fish larvae representing 30 families (which included two subfamilies, eightgenuses, nine species and eight types), one group to the levels of order and two types were recognised. The identified taxa were: Apogonidae, Blenniidae, Callionymidae, Carangidae, Clupeidae, Cynoglossidae, Diodontidae, Engraulidae, Gerreidae, Gobiidae, Haemulidae, Hemiramphidae, Leiognathidae, Mugilidae, Mullidae, Nemipteridae, Pegasidae, Platycephalidae, Scatophagidae, Sciaenidae, Scombridae, Sillaginidae, Soleidae, Sparidae, Sphyraenidae, Synanceidae, Syngnathidae, Terapontidae, Triacanthidae, Tripterygiidae, and Tetraodontiformes. Among them, Soledae (including 6 types) and Gobiidae (including 3 types) were the most diverse families. What is more, Pegasus volitans (Pegasidae), Cyclichthys orbicularis (Diodontidae), Trachurus indicus (Carangidae), and Hippichthys penicillus (Syngnathidae) were reported for the first time in Iranian waters.