The biology of Boyer's sand smelt, Atherina boyeri Risso in the Bardawil Lagoon on the Mediterranean coast of Sinai

Abstract

The present study describes some aspects of the life history of Boyer's sand smelt Atherina hoyeri in the hypersaline Bardawil Lagoon on the Mediterranean coast of the Sinai peninsula, Egypt. Monthly samples were collected with a small-mesh experimental beach-seine during the years 1973-1974. Age determinations were based on otoliths readings and length frequency distributions which indicate that the Bardawil Lagoon population consists mostly of 0-age group. The largest recorded fish was 63 mm in standard length (s.L.). Length-weight relationship has been calculated as: W= 13.7 x I O -~X L~'~~ where "=weight (9) and L=s.L.(mm). Atherina boyeri mature at the length of 34 mm. Spawning takes place from March to September. The average number of eggs in the ovary of a ripe female at the beginning of the spawning season was found to be 522. Females of all sizes were more numerous than males. In immature fish, less than 34 mm long, females constituted 53% of the population. In larger fish the number of females was higher; in fish over 34 mm long females constituted 64% and in fish over 5 1 rnm-96%. Atherina boyeri in the Bardawil Lagoon feeds on both zoobenthos and zooplankton, mainly amphipods and copepods. Polychaetes, mysidaceans, insects and fish were also represented. Atherina boyeri is the host of endoparasitic Trematoda, Acanthocephala and Nematoda. The examined fish were found to have metacercaria in their mesenteries and liver.

Food of sand smelt, <i>Atherina boyeri</i> Risso, 1810 (Pisces: Atherinidae) in the estuary of the Mala Neretva River (middle-eastern Adriatic, Croatia)

“…The same discrepancy was reported by Vizzini and Mazzola (2002), but in our case mysids and isopods dominated in winter and spring. Our results point to opportunism as the dominant feeding strategy, as well as a clear preference for zooplankton, as found by others (Castel et al, 1977;Gon and Ben-Tuvia, 1983). When zooplankton is scarce, however, sand smelt shift exclusively to benthic prey (Trabelsi et al, 1994), and in our case when benthic prey was available the sand smelt used it.…”

“…On the other hand, the smallest number of empty stomachs was found during winter. A high percentage of empty stomachs in summer was also found in sand smelt from Bardawil Lagoon, Israel (Gon and Ben-Tuvia, 1983). The overall vacuity index is also very low (36%), while the percentage of empty stomachs is rather high.…”

Habitat discrimination of big-scale sand smeltAtherina boyeriRisso, 1810 (Atheriniformes: Atherinidae) in eastern Algeria using somatic morphology and otolith shape

“…Big-scale sand smelt Atherina boyeri Risso, 1810 is an extremely euryhaline teleost fish, which inhabits coastal and estuarine waters, including coastal lagoons and more rarely inland waters, over a wide range of salinities, from freshwater to hypersaline conditions (110‰ maximum recorded; Gon & Ben-Tuvia 1983;Henderson & Bamber 1987). This species is common in the Mediterranean and adjacent seas, and is also found in the northeast Atlantic, from the Azores to the northwest coast of Scotland (Kiener & Spillmann 1969;Quignard & Pras 1986).…”

Mitochondrial DNA diversity in Atherina boyeri populations as determined by RFLP analysis of three mtDNA segments

“…Atherina boyeri is commonly found in the coastal waters of the eastAtlantic Ocean as well as in the Mediterranean, Black, Caspian and Aral seas (Gon and Ben-Tuvia, 1983).…”