SEA FISHES SPAWNING PELAGIC EGGS IN THE ST-LUCIA ESTUARY

During September 1993, after the St Lucia estuary had been closed to t he sea for about nine months, two samples of live plankton were collec ted at the mouth inside the closed estuary. Fish eggs from these sampl es were hatched and identified by the characteristics of the eggs and early larvae. Pomadasys commersonnii and Crenidens crenidens were rear ed to confirm identification. Eggs of nine species were found and all but one were identified to at least genus level. The unidentified egg was probably that of a clupeiform, and the most common egg was the spo tted grunter Pomadasys commersonnii. Subsequent sampling in the Charte rs Creek area in 1994 confined that five of the species also spawn in the main lake, while a further species was added to the list of marine fishes that will spawn in St Lucia given favourable conditions.