In this study, the ichthyoplankton in two distinct tropical seascapes, gravelly sand with rhodolith beds (SRB) and muddy sand with seagrasses, were compared. The number of eggs was higher in the seagrass beds; however, the number of fish larvae was slightly higher in the SRB. Seagrass beds present less turbulent hydrodynamics and favor the retention of eggs and spawning. A more structured habitat provides better shelter, especially for eggs. However, as ontogeny progresses, the fish can explore areas with less shelter. This behavior was observed in this study, where the less structured SRB habitat had a high density of larvae in the later developmental stage. The dominance of earlier larval stages demonstrates a preference for more protected and less turbulent seascapes for nursery and offspring rearing. The results highlight that mapping of these seascapes (e.g., seagrass and rhodolith beds) will help to establish conservation measures to protect ecological connectivity and important tropical species.

在这项研究中，比较了两种截然不同的热带海景中的鱼鳞浮游动物，即带有菱形石床的砾石砂和具有海草的泥沙。海草床中的卵数较高。然而，SRB中鱼幼虫的数量略高。海草床的湍流动力较小，有利于保留卵和产卵。结构化的栖息地提供了更好的庇护所，尤其是鸡蛋。但是，随着个体发育的进展，鱼类可以探索避难所较少的地区。在这项研究中观察到了这种行为，其中结构较弱的SRB栖息地在后期发育阶段的幼虫密度很高。幼体早期阶段的优势表明，对于苗圃和后代的饲养，偏爱提供更多保护和较少动荡的海景。