<p>Data is from an oceanographic survey performed from 10 to 18 August of 2010 off the South coast of Portugal. The sampling area was along the coast off Guadiana estuary to Cape S. Vicente between the longitudes 7º 30.0'; W and 8º 59.6'; W and between the 30 m isobath and 36º 30.0'; N. Plankton stations were performed using a Longhurst Hardy Plankton Recorder (LHPR) sampler and Bongo nets. The LHPR was used in 16 stations to collect information on the water column distribution of the species. It was towed at 4 knots on oblique hauls from the surface to near the seabed or around 400 m at the deeper stations. Samples were collected at 25 m depth intervals. Mesh aperture of the collecting net and filtering gauze for all the hauls was 280 µm. A Bongo net with 60 cm diameter aperture and a mesh size of 335 µm was used in all the other stations.</p>