Spawning of anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus in the Northwestern Mediterranean relative to hydrographic features in the region

Abstract

The present study furnishes conclusive evidence for the existence of latitudinal differences m the duration of anchovy spawning related to temperature cycle and hydrographic features; 2 main spawmng areas were found, one off northern and another off southern Catalonia (NW Mediterranean, NE Spain). Total egg production was similar in the 2 spawning areas and even somewhat higher m the northern area, where the spawning cycle was shorter (ca 2 mo). The areas of highest egg abundance were located relatively far offshore, between 10 and 30 miles from the coast, spanning a very broad range of bottom depths, from 50 to 1000 m. The presence of a shelf-slope front of variable intensity running along the entire coast (Font et al. 1988) suggests that anchovy take advantage of the productivity associated with the front for reproductive purposes, particularly since the front is the most important enrichment phenomenon in the region during summer, the time of maximum spawning (Estrada & Margalef 1988). In addition, the distribution of spawning activity brings to light its association with the zones of influence of the outflows of 2 large rivers, the Rh6ne and the Ebro. On the whole, the reproductive behaviour of Engraulis encrasicolusm the Northwestern Mediterranean takes advantage of the most favourable conditions to ensure the success of early life stages in a region in which enrichment phenomena are more limited than those described for other clupeoid species

Distribution, seasonality, lengths, and feeding behaviour of whale sharks(Rhincodon typus)observed in New Zealand waters

“…Anchovy aggregate to breed in such areas (Palomera 1992;Hoedt & Dimmlich 1995), and from about January to mid March large schools of anchovy are the focus of intense pelagic feeding activity in the eastern Bay of Plenty (Ayling & Cox 1982). As anchovy are an energy rich prey (Takahashi et al 2001), whale sharks may aggregate in this area to feed on them.…”

Comparative Characterization of the Spawning Environments of European Anchovy, <I>Engraulis Encrasicolus</I>, and Round Sardinella, <I>Sardinella Aurita</I> (Actinopterygii: Clupeiformes) in the Eastern Coast of Tunisia

“…In the Mediterranean Sea, the spawning habitats of anchovy seem to be confined to shelf edges, where various kinds of enrichment process may occur (Palomera and Sabatés 1990, Palomera 1992, Olivar et al 2001, Cuttitta et al 2006. In the Bay of Biscay, anchovy select stable habitats related to river plumes, shelf edge fronts, and oceanic eddies, where increased biological production potentially occurs (Motos et al 1996).…”

Ichthyoplankton dynamics in the Guadiana estuary and adjacent coastal area, South-East Portugal

“…The spatial preferences of organisms within estuaries and their adjacent coastal areas are intrinsically related to the salinity gradient (Cyrus and Blaber, 1992;Thiel et al, 1995), whereas spawning seasons are dictated by temperature evolution. In fact, temperature is related to the adult reproductive cycle and spawning (Holmes and Henderson, 1990;Palomera, 1992). The larvae and eggs of some species were captured during all (Pomatoschistus spp.)…”