Spatiotemporal Distribution and Dispersal Pattern of Early Life Stages of the Small Yellow Croaker (<i>Larimichthys Polyactis</i>) in the Southern Yellow Sea

Nursery habitats play a significant role in completing fish life cycles, and they are now recognized as essential habitats. Monthly variations in nursery ground distributions of <i>Larimichthys polyactis</i> were investigated in the southern Yellow Sea in 2019. Bayesian hierarchical models with integrated nested Laplace approximation were utilized to model the preferential nursery habitats of <i>L. polyactis</i> larvae. The study analyzed the spatial and temporal distributions of the larvae and juveniles based on three environmental variables: sea surface temperature, sea surface salinity, and depth. Additionally, this study examined the utilization of habitats by different fish life stages and ontogenetic shifts. A total of 3240 individuals were collected from April to June, with the peak occurring in May (0.05 ind./m³), and the distribution areas varied between different months. The prediction of the model reveals the ecological adaptability of <i>L. polyactis</i> to temperature variations. The optimal temperature for <i>L. polyactis</i> density ranges from 12.5 °C to 16.5 °C in April and 16.5 °C to 17.5 °C in May, demonstrating a broad temperature tolerance for <i>L. polyactis</i> survival. In addition, there are variations in distribution patterns among different developmental stages. <i>Larimichthys polyactis</i> spawn in the inshore and nearshore waters, and after hatching, larvae in the pre-flexion stage tend to remain aggregated near the spawning beds. However, larvae in the advanced development stage (post-flexion) and juveniles move towards the sandy ridge habitats along the coast and start to migrate offshore in June. This study provides valuable insights for the effective management of fishery resources in the area and can be utilized to identify marine areas with specific habitat features that require conservation.