PREDATION UPON LARVAE OF THE PACIFIC SARDINE SARDINOPS-SAGAX BY CYCLOPOID COPEPODS

Analysis of the zooplanktonic community during a diurnal cycle of samp ling at the entrance of Magdalena Bay, during the period of highest re productive activity of the Pacific sardine Sardinops sagax, showed the presence of 80 zooplanktonic taxa of which only the copepods Corycaeu s truckicus and C. japonicus were observed attacking sardine larvae; p redation upon eggs was not observed. Most attacks were observed during the early evening and were associated with a high larval abundance, a nd occurred mostly on larvae less than 7.5 mm standard length (SL). Th ese findings support the hypothesis that marine carnivorous copepods a ccount for mortality of small fish larvae to a high degree.