Search results for "ichthyoplankton"

Planktonic stages of small pelagic fishes (Sardinella aurita and Engraulis encrasicolus) in the central Mediterranean Sea: The key role of physical f…

2018

Abstract Multidisciplinary studies are recently aiming to define diagnostic tools for fishery sustainability by coupling ichthyoplanktonic datasets, physical and bio-geochemical oceanographic measurements, and ocean modelling. The main goal of these efforts is to understand those processes that control the dispersion and fate of fish larvae and eggs, and thus tuning the inter-annual variability of the biomass of small pelagic fish species. In this paper we analyse the distribution of eggs and larvae as well as the biological features of the two species of pelagic fish, Engraulis encrasicolus and Sardinella aurita in the north-eastern sector of the Sicily Channel (Mediterranean Sea) from ich…

Role of protozooplankton in the diet of North Sea autumn spawning herring (Clupea harengus) larvae

2022

AbstractThe role of small prey (< 200 µm) in larval marine fish nutrition is largely understudied. Here, we explore the contribution of protozooplankton (PZP 20–200 µm) to larval fish diets, compared to metazoan microzooplankton (MZP 55–200 µm). More specifically, we tested whether the contribution of PZP increased during the low productivity season and decreased as larvae grow. We used North Sea autumn spawning herring (Clupea harengus) as a case study, as it is a key species with high commercial and ecological importance. In autumn and winter, the potential PZP and MZP prey was dominated by cells < 50 µm (mainly Gymnodiniales, Pronoctiluca pelagica,Tripos spp. and Strombidium spp.),…

Inferring Population Structure from Early Life Stage: The Case of the European Anchovy in the Sicilian and Maltese Shelves

2022

The European anchovy is an important fishing resource in the Sicilian Channel that supports a high recruitment success variability. The presence of two spawning areas, the drifting of the larvae along the currents and the different oceanographic conditions within the region suggest the presence of different larvae subpopulations. Morphometric and biochemical approaches have been used to analyze the differences among larvae collected. The amino acid composition discriminates two larval groups closely related to the spawning regions: Adventure Bank and the shelf between the South of Sicily and Malta. In addition, there are morphometric and growth differences between recently hatched larvae in…

Plekstes (Platichthys flesus L) agrīno attīstības stadiju bioloģiskais raksturojums Baltijas jūras centrālajā daļā

2014

ANOTĀCIJA Ustups, 2013. Plekstes (Platichthys flesus L.) agrīno attīstības stadiju bioloģiskais raksturojums Baltijas jūras centrālajā daļā. Plekstu ihtioplanktona daudzumu Baltijas jūras centrālajā daļā nosaka nārsta bara lielums un hidroloģiskie apstākļi. Plekstu mazuļu skaitu piekrastes zonā būtiski ietekmē ūdens temperatūra, mēnesis un vēja virziens. Strauja šāgadeņu augšana novērojama līdz septembrim, bet viengadniekiem no pavasara līdz novembrim. Irbes šauruma piekraste ir labvēlīga dzīvotne plekstu mazuļiem, ko nosaka smilšainās seklūdens zonas, daudzveidīgie barošanās objekti un ģeogrāfiskais novietojums attiecībā pret nārsta vietu. Plekstes mazuļu plašais barības spektrs samazina b…

Unveiling the Relationship Between Sea Surface Hydrographic Patterns and Tuna Larval Distribution in the Central Mediterranean Sea

2021

Thunnus thynnus (Atlantic bluefin tuna, ABT) and other tuna species reproduce in the Mediterranean Sea during the summer period. Despite the Central Mediterranean Sea, the Strait of Sicily in particular, being a key spawning site for many tuna species, little is known on the effects of oceanographic variability on their larval distribution in this area. The abundance and presence-absence of larval specimens for three tuna species (ABT, bullet tuna and albacore) were modeled in order to examine their relationships with environmental factors, by analysing historical in situ information collected during seven annual surveys (2010–2016). The results revealed that most tuna larvae for the three …

Different key roles of mesoscale oceanographic structures and ocean bathymetry in shaping larval fish distribution pattern: A case study in Sicilian …

2016

Fish larvae data collected in year 2009 were used to examine the effects of particular environmental conditions on the structure of larvalassemblages in two oligotrophic Mediterranean areas (the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea and the Strait of Sicily). For this purpose, relationships with environmental variables (temperature, salinity and fluorescence), zooplankton biomass, water circulation and bathymetry are discussed. Hydrodynamic conditions resulted very differently between two study areas. The Southern Tyrrhenian Sea was characterized by moderate shallow circulation compared to the Strait of Sicily. In this framework, distribution pattern of larval density in the Tyrrhenian Sea was mainly dri…

Environmental Conditions along Tuna Larval Dispersion: Insights on the Spawning Habitat and Impact on Their Development Stages

2022

Estimated larval backward trajectories of three Tuna species, namely, Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus, Linnaeus, 1758), Bullet Tuna (Auxis Rochei, Risso, 1801) and Albacore Tuna (Thunnus alalunga, Bonnaterre, 1788) in the central Mediterranean Sea, were used to characterize their spawning habitats, and to assess the impact of changes due to the major environmental parameters (i.e., sea surface temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration) on larval development during their advection by surface currents. We assumed that the environmental variability experienced by larvae along their paths may have influenced their development, also affecting their survival. Our results showed that the …

Larval fish assemblages in the central Mediterranean Sea: spatio-temporal dynamics and biological effects on early life stage of Sardinella aurita (P…

Signals from the deep-sea: Genetic structure, morphometric analysis, and ecological implications of Cyclothone braueri (Pisces, Gonostomatidae) early…

2020

Abstract Cyclothone braueri (Stomiiformes, Gonostomatidae) is a widely distributed fish inhabiting the mesopelagic zone of marine tropical and temperate waters. Constituting one of the largest biomasses of the ocean, C. braueri is a key element in most of the ecological processes occurring in the twilight layer. We focused on the ecological processes linked to early life stages in relation to marine pelagic environmental drivers (temperature, salinity, food availability and geostrophic currents) considering different regions of the Central Mediterranean Sea. A multivariate morphometric analysis was carried out using six parameters with the aim of discerning different larval morphotypes, whi…

STUDY OF LARGE PELAGIC FISH LIFE-HISTORY TRAITS IN THE CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN SEA AND PROJECTION UNDER FUTURE CLIMATE CHANGE SCENARIOS

2022

One of the most sensitive life periods for each species is the first life stages (larval and juvenile). The survival rates of pelagic fish larvae in these phases are usually very low and subject to fluctuations, consequently affecting the recruitment of new generations. From historical Tuna landing data, the stock's abundance is fluctuating, especially for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (ABT) (Thunnus thynnus, Linnaeus, 1758) Eastern stock. It is the largest Mediterranean Tuna and one of the most expensive species in the world. Some studies hypothesized that the fluctuations are dictated by environmental factors, particularly in the early life stages. Therefore, it appears necessary to better unders…