Spatial distribution of planktivorous fish schools in relation to krill abundance and local hydrography off Otago, New Zealand

Side-scan sonar allows mapping of near-surface schools of fish, but it has seldom been used for this purpose. Data were collected off the coast of Otago, New Zealand for 21 days during 1994 to 1996 using a 130 kHz Klein 595 digital side-scan sonar. A total of 2198 schools were detected. Of these, 348 schools of barracouta (Thyrsites atun), 67 schools of jack mackerel (Trachurus murphyi), and 17 schools of slender tuna (Allothunnus fallai) were identified. Barracouta schools were significantly smaller than schools of jack mackerel or slender tuna, but the size of schools was not related to state of tide, location, water depth, salinity, temperature, or density of krill. Fish schools were detected throughout daylight hours, but dispersed at night. Analysis of stomach contents revealed barracouta, jack mackerel and slender tuna were feeding on krill, Nyctiphanes australis, and fish schools occurred in areas with high densities of N. australis. Variability in the abundance of N. australis was related to salinity; catches were highest in a band of low-salinity water which was present in the study area following periods of high river runoff.