Length-weight and length-length relationships are described for 10 of the most important and most frequent small, middle-size and large pelagic fish species from the Adriatic Sea, namely Sardina pilchardus Walbaum 1792, Sardinella aurita Valenciennes 1847, Sprattus sprattus Linnaeus 1758, Engraulis encrasicolus Linnaeus 1758, Belone belone Linnaeus 1761, Scomber scombrus Linnaeus 1758, Scomber japonicus Houttuyn 1780, Thunnus thynnus Linnaeus 1758, Auxis rochei Risso 1810 and Sarda sarda Bloch 1793. Length-length equations for converting size measurements: standard length (SL) and fork length (FL) to total length (TL) and vice versa, were linear.

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A recent study concerning the reproductive biology of the garfish (Belone belone, L. 1761) has been carried out in the eastern part of the Adriatic Sea along the Croatian coastline. Specimens of the fish (N = 3,393) were collected over a 6-year period (2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008). Their length varied between 20.8 and 75.4 cm (mean ± SD = 38.3 ± 7.94). Female garfish were dominant in larger length groups being most apparent during the resting phase of sexual cycle and in the peak of the spawning period, occurring in April and May. The sexual ratio of all specimens was m/f = 0.98. Males were prevalent in March-at the beginning of the highest spawning activities. Fifty percentage of the garfish population sexually matured at 28.5 cm of total length. Males and females reached their sexual maturity at 28.0 and 31.5 cm of total length, respectively. Spawning began in January peaking during March to May. According to their maturity stages, gonad weight and the gonadosomatic index, males began to spawn one month earlier (April) than females (May). The mean batch fecundity of garfish was 1,242.46 ± 843.64 of matured oocytes per ovary. Matured oocyte diameters ranged from 1.223 to 4.283 mm with the mean value of 2.269 ± 0.332 mm.

The study objective was to analyse Sardina pilchardus (Walb., 1792) for mesenteric fat, which is easier to evaluate than the muscle lipid, for comparisons thereof with the sexual cycle and condition of the examined specimens. Fat reserves, moisture and the sexual cycle of sardines were studied from monthly random samples of purse seine catches from March 2004 to February 2005. A total of 1209 specimens were collected (668 males; 541 females). Total length and mass ranged from 13.0 to 19.0 cm and from 16.7 to 51.5 g, respectively. Lipid analyses in muscle tissues were done using the Soxhlet method. An inverse relation between fat content and the sexual cycle was established. Greatest fat quantities were observed in August (72%) during the gonadal resting phase; lowest values were noted in winter, and in spring during the spawning period peak. Moisture content and sexual cycle were positively correlated (r = 0.7913). Total lipids in sardine tissues were higher in females than in males; however, the moisture content was higher in males than in females.