<!--Galleys --> <!--Full Text:--> PDF <!--END GALLEYS---> Abstract In the north-central zone of Chile (25°00’-31°40'S), zooplankton samples were taken in 103 oceanographic stations during February-March 2017 (0-70 m). Ostracods were separated, identified, and counted, making it possible to determine their distribution, abundance, species richness, and diversity. Twenty-one species belonging to 12 genera of the Halocyprididae family were identified, three of which had not been previously reported for the southeastern Pacific (Conchoecetta acuminata, Mikroconchoecia stigmatica, and Orthoconchoecia atlantica). The highest abundances, species richness, and diversity were found mainly in stations away from the coast (10 and 20 nm), sampled in hours of darkness. The most abundant species with the highest frequency of occurrence were Archiconchoecia striata, Conchoecetta giesbrechti, Conchoecia magna, and Halocypris inflata. A. striata constituted more than 50% of the total abundance of the ostracods identified.

Optimizing oxygen supply and nitrogen removal in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) requires species-specific metabolic benchmarks. This study quantified the effects of body size and stocking density on oxygen consumption and total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) excretion in the silverside Odontesthes bonariensis under controlled RAS conditions. A 2 × 2 factorial design was used to compare small (48–140 g) and large (>140–250 g) fish stocked at low (3.2 kg m⁻³) and high (6.2 kg m⁻³) densities. Oxygen consumption was significantly influenced by both factors, with mean routine rates ranging from 146.12 ± 35.07 mg O₂ kg⁻¹ h⁻¹ in high-density large fish to 226.31 ± 50.71 mg O₂ kg⁻¹ h⁻¹ in low-density small fish. Smaller fish exhibited higher mass-specific rates, and individuals held at lower densities consumed more oxygen, consistent with allometric scaling and density-dependent metabolic suppression. In contrast, TAN excretion was unaffected by size or density, with mean values ranging from 4.59 ± 0.77 to 10.81 ± 3.76 mg TAN kg⁻¹ h⁻¹ across treatments, indicating stable protein catabolism under a uniform feeding regime. Both parameters displayed pronounced diurnal fluctuations, with postprandial peaks associated with specific dynamic action: oxygen consumption fluctuated between 61.75 and 333.03 mg O₂ kg⁻¹ h⁻¹, while TAN excretion ranged from 0 to 78.63 mg TAN kg⁻¹ h⁻¹ over 24 h cycles. These findings demonstrate that oxygen demand in O. bonariensis is strongly modulated by bioenergetic scaling and stocking density (ranging from 146 to 226 mg O₂ kg⁻¹ h⁻¹), whereas ammonia excretion (4.6–10.8 mg TAN kg⁻¹ h⁻¹) is primarily driven by dietary input. These results provide species-specific baseline benchmarks for aeration sizing and biofilter design, thereby supporting the sustainable intensification of silverside aquaculture in RAS.

Euphausia mucronata abundance and distribution of the developmental stages (calyptopis, furciliae, juveniles, and adults) was analyzed as a function of seawater temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration between Paposo (25°S) and Coquimbo (30°S), Chile. Zooplankton samples were obtained using bongo nets during February of three consecutive years (2014-2016). The Q coefficient was used to explore the relationship between the distribution and abundance of the development stages of E. mucronata with the temperature recorded throughout the water column. The adults were considerably more abundant than the rest of the ontogenetic development stages during the study period. The abundance of adults decreased from February 2014 to 2016, having a negative correlation with temperature. Relative abundance of juveniles and larvae increased positively related to the total euphausiid abundance. The Q coefficient showed a significant association of all development states concerning the low-temperature intervals recorded throughout the seawater column. Q coefficient showed no association with chlorophyll-a concentration through the recorded intervals throughout the water column and neither with the vertical abundance and distribution of E. mucronata specimens.

The presence of juvenile Branchiostoma elongatum captured in plankton samples from the north-central coast of Chile during February-March of consecutive years (2013-2020) is described. Its low abundance showed interannual variation as well as its frequency of occurrence. Its geographical distribution was preferably coastal. It covered the entire sampling area (1-20 nm from the coast) longitudinally, and specimens were captured between the extreme north of the sampling area and 30°20’S. The lowest abundances were found in years of negative thermal anomalies (2017-2018) and the highest mainly in neutral conditions (2013-2015).

<!--Galleys --> <!--Full Text:--> PDF <!--END GALLEYS---> Abstract The larvae of Blepharipoda spinosa and Lepidopa chilensis were collected from Chile's north-central coast (Paposo 25.0ºS and Oscuro Port 31.5ºS) in each February of 2013-2017. Larvae were separated by their development stage. Their abundance, occurrence, and distribution concerning its proximity to the coast were analyzed. Larval abundance and frequency of occurrence were low in both species. Zoea I dominated the highest concentrations detected in coastal stations and near the study area's longest sandy beaches. Interannual variation of larvae was seen in the abundance and composition by development stages. The highest abundance of B. spinosa larvae was found in February 2016, while L. chilensis larvae had the highest abundance in February 2014. Their presence and development stages in the wide sampling area provide information on both species' distribution and reproductive activity.

The Chilean silverside (Basilichthys microlepidotus) is an endemic freshwater species considered Vulnerable, and the species-specific bioengineering parameters needed to design efficient recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) for this species, particularly oxygen consumption, remain unknown. A factorial experiment (2 × 2) was conducted to evaluate how body size and stocking density affect the routine oxygen consumption of B. microlepidotus. The study considered two body-size groups and two stocking-density treatments, each represented by three replicate tanks. Oxygen uptake rates were determined from mass-balance calculations in a static closed respirometry system during sequential 24 h periods. Body size significantly influenced mass-specific oxygen consumption, with smaller fish exhibiting higher rates than larger fish, consistent with allometric metabolic scaling, whereas no significant independent effect of stocking density was detected; however, with only three tanks per treatment and two similar densities, the test had low power and this result is inconclusive. A pronounced diurnal pattern was evident in all treatments, with the main oxygen consumption peak near 14:00 h, approximately three hours after the single daily feeding (11:00 h), which is consistent with, but does not demonstrate, a specific dynamic action (SDA) response because no unfed control was included; a smaller peak near 08:00 h preceded feeding and may reflect routine laboratory activity at the start of the working day. These results provide the first species-specific reference values of routine oxygen consumption for B. microlepidotus, offering a preliminary basis, within the size and density ranges tested, for estimating the oxygen demand of fish in RAS designed for this species, with direct relevance for both conservation-oriented restocking and its development as a candidate for freshwater aquaculture diversification.