Analysis of three sampling methods of early life history of fish in marginal lagoons of southeastern Brazil

This work aimed to evaluate the capture success of early life stage fish using three sampling methods (hand net, plankton net, and quatrefoil light trap). The hand net presented better sampling efficiency in the studied lagoons, with the capture of 13 exclusive taxa. Young migratory species, such as Prochilodus argenteus, P. costatus and Salminus hilarii, were only collected in the hand net, suggesting its applicability and efficiency in studies of migratory species in nursery environments. On the other hand, the plankton net and quatrefoil light trap were less efficient related to the number of captured species. However, the latter method has captured a high abundance of Anchoviella vaillanti suggesting that this species is photoactive and that this method is highly selective. None of the methods used presented significant selectivity in the capture of individuals at specific stages of early development.