Frontal eddies, which are generated by current shear along the edge of ocean boundary currents may entrain larval fish from shelf waters and contribute to the connectivity and recruitment of coastal populations. Larval fish assemblages were sampled from two frontal eddies of the East Australian Current and their expected source waters on the shelf. The smaller, younger eddy, located 150 km offshore, was characterised by distinctive coastal water properties of lower temperature (<20°C) and salinity, and higher abundances of fish larvae of coastal shelf families and estuarine taxa of commercial importance. However when the putative, coastal source waters of this eddy were sampled, the region was found to be swept over by the East Australian Current, and had similar water properties and a family composition, dominated by oceanic taxa, similar to a larger northern frontal eddy that was formed 4 weeks earlier. Shelf taxa were evident in the putative coastal source waters of the older eddy, but these were no longer evident in the older eddy. The larval fish communities caught at each location were found to only reflect the water characteristics of the previous few weeks. Myctophidae composed 48% of the overall community, followed by Notosudidae (10%), Labridae (3.5%) and Phosichthyidae (3.35%). Both factors, location and depth, were showed significant variation in the larval fish community composition. Myctophidae and Labridae were distributed across all sites. The younger eddy was characterized by higher abundances of coastal families such as Acropomatidae, Carangidae, Serranidae and Gonorhynchidae. The younger eddy source water site and the older northern eddy locations were dominated byoceanic families (Notosudidae, Phosicthyidae, Howellidae and Gonostomatidae). Clupeidae and Engraulidae larvae were more common at the older northern eddy source water location. In relation to depth distribution, Myctophidae, Notosudidae and Labridae were found across all depths. Acropomatidae were more representative of the deeper strata and Gonorhynchidae and Scomberesocidae dominant in the surface layer. Clupeidae and Engraulidae were more abundant in the surface and the upper mixed layer (5-50m) than the 50-100m strata. Our study revealed the difficulties due to ocean dynamics of determining the potential significance of frontal eddies as offshore nursery areas.