Dongsha Island is a globally significant marine biodiversity hotspot and a region that warrants prioritization for conservation. To develop effective conservation and restoration strategies, it is critical to understand the structure and function of local fish assemblages. Due to the bipartite life history of most marine fish, there are often substantial differences in the composition of fish eggs, larvae, juveniles, and adults within the same area. Comprehensive knowledge of these stages is essential for a holistic understanding of the ichthyofauna in a given region. However, previous studies on the fish communities of the Dongsha Archipelago have provided limited data on fish eggs, larvae, juveniles, and adults. This study, conducted in 2011, investigated the species composition and distribution of fish eggs and larvae within and outside the Dongsha Island Lagoon and Dongsha Atoll Lagoon. The findings were integrated with data from a 2005 project, Fundamental investigation of marine ecological resources of Tungsha (Pratas) Islands. Together, these results are presented in this dataset to facilitate future research on the relationships between the fish communities of Dongsha and those in other regions of the South China Sea.

東沙島是全球重要之海洋生物熱點，為應當優先保育之區域。為了研擬適當的保育和復育的策略，亟需了解當地魚類群聚結構及其功能。由於海洋魚類多半有兩地生活史(bipartite life)，同一地區的魚卵、仔稚魚及成魚的組成常有很大的差異，因此需對這三者皆有充分的了解，才能充分地掌握該地區的魚類相。然而，過去有關東沙群島魚類之調查資料，無論魚卵、仔稚魚、成魚，都相當稀少。本研究於2011年進行東沙島潟湖與東沙環礁潟湖內外的魚卵及仔稚魚種類組成及分佈之調查，將調查結果與2005年《東沙海域生態資源基礎調查研究計畫》之資料整併，共同呈現於本資料集，供日後進一步探討東沙魚類與南海周邊其他水域魚類族群間之關係。

GBIF url: https://www.gbif.org/dataset/fe8fb16f-e1b4-449e-aece-f2965e367b78
Citation: Shao K, Meng P, Jeng M, Severinghaus L (2025). 東沙環礁潟湖魚卵及仔稚魚種類組成及分布調查計畫. Version 1.3. Marine National Park Headquarters. Sampling event dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/9swd9t accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-02-20.