In order to study the changes in ichthyoplankton assemblages in response to exposure to wind and waves, a sampling design was established using surface trawls with a plankton net, from exposed areas near the edge of the continental shelf to coastal areas totally protected from the wind, in Las Caracas, Sucre state, Venezuela. The richness of fish larvae is higher than that registered in other areas of the region, with important findings such as the presence of Cosmocampus elucens, the occurrence of the highest abundances of Bregmacerotidae larvae in a coastal and shallow place, and the records of three taxa belonging to the family Labrisomidae. Differences were found between the stations studied, regarding environmental variables and community parameters. The outermost sampling sites had the highest egg densities. The highest number of larvae was recorded in the inner most station of those exposed to the wind. The results show an influence of exposure to wind on the distribution and abundance of fish larvae and eggs in Las Caracas sector. The high records of richness and abundance of ichthyoplankton, particularly in larval stages with little development as well as eggs, denote an intense reproductive activity in the area that merits protectionist proposals and fisheries management.
