scholarly journals The diet of the anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus (Linnaeus, 1758) during the spawning season in the eastern Adriatic Sea

2020 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-66
Author(s):  
Bosiljka Mustać ◽  
Marijana Hure
Keyword(s):  
Diet Composition ◽  
Adriatic Sea ◽  
Calanoid Copepods ◽  
Offshore Water ◽  
Spawning Period ◽  
Engraulis Encrasicolus ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Prey Composition ◽  
Adriatic Coast ◽  
Decapod Larvae

The objective of this study was to determine, both quantitatively and qualitatively, the variability in the diet of the anchovy, Engraulis encrasicolus,during its spawning period. Samples were obtained from commercial purse seine catches (April 2014 – September 2016) from coastal and offshore fishing areas of different trophic states and zooplankton composition over the eastern Adriatic Sea. In general, decapod larvae comprise the main source of diet during the anchovies’ spawning period in terms of frequency and abundance, followed by calanoid copepods. The main copepod prey that was identified for anchovy along the eastern Adriatic coast was calanoid Temora stylifera, followed by Oncaeid copepods and Corycaeidae. Although no significant differences in diet composition regarding the anchovy’s size was observed, the contribution of copepods decreased in larger individuals, and were gradually substituted by large crustaceans - decapods, euphausiids, mysids and amphipods. However, a significant difference in prey composition between coastal and offshore areas was observed (global R=0.164, p<0.05). Beside adult copepods, offshore water anchovy fed mainly on decapod larvae and their megalopa stage, and amphipods. In the stomach of the fish caught in the coastal waters, higher contributions of euphausiids, mysids and fish eggs were observed. Prey diversity was greater in the stomach of specimens caught offshore (H’=0.59) than in the coastal Adriatic waters (H’=0.40).

scholarly journals FEEDING HABITS AND HELMINTH PARASITES OF SARDINE (S. PILCHARDUS) AND ANCHOVY (E. ENCRASICOLUS) IN THE ADRIATIC SEA

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 216 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. ZORICA ◽  
V. ČIKES KEČ ◽  
O. VIDJAK ◽  
I. MLADINEO ◽  
D. EZGETA BALIČ
Keyword(s):  
Diet Composition ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Stomach Content Analysis ◽  
Helminth Parasites ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Prey Composition ◽  
One Year ◽  
Paratenic Hosts ◽  
Hysterothylacium Aduncum

We examined the stomach contents of two of the most economically and ecologically important small pelagic fish species, the sardine, Sardina pilchardus and the anchovy, Engraulis encrasicolus, obtained monthly from commercial purse-seine catches operating on Croatian fishing grounds during a one-year period (January–December, 2011). Both species generally showed a similar diet, with copepod and decapod larvae as dominant prey groups. The composition of anchovy and sardine stomach contents was not size- or sex-related, but throughout the year, a significant difference in diet composition was observed for each species as well as between species. Two gastrointerstinal helminths; the digenean Parahemiurus merus and nematode Hysterothylacium aduncum, were recorded during the stomach content analysis. Differences in population dynamics between the two parasites are congruent with differences in the prey composition of sardine and anchovy, reflecting fine-tuned interactions in the trophic web between parasites and intermediate or paratenic hosts included in the sardine and anchovy diet.

Marine litter in stomach content of small pelagic fishes from the Adriatic Sea: sardines (Sardina pilchardus) and anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus)

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 2771-2781 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monia Renzi ◽  
Antonietta Specchiulli ◽  
Andrea Blašković ◽  
Cristina Manzo ◽  
Giorgio Mancinelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stomach Content ◽  
Adriatic Sea ◽  
Sardina Pilchardus ◽  
Marine Litter ◽  
Engraulis Encrasicolus ◽  
Pelagic Fishes

scholarly journals Diet Composition and Seasonal Fluctuations in the Feeding Habit of Snow Barbel (Schizothorax plagiostomus) in River Indus, Pakistan

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Muhammad Qayash Khan ◽  
Muhammad Zubair Anjum ◽  
Shamim Akhter ◽  
Irfan Khattak ◽  
Abid Ali
Keyword(s):  
Diet Composition ◽  
Feeding Activity ◽  
Fish Fauna ◽  
Feeding Habit ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Catch Per Unit Effort ◽  
Food Items ◽  
Unit Effort ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
River Indus

Background:Schizothorax plagiostomus is widely distributed in river Indus and is most important food fish in Pakistan. The feeding habit of fish is directly related to the size of fish, its metabolic rate and environmental temperature. The accurate description of fish diet and feeding habit is a very important aspect in fisheries management for the purpose of species conservation, breeding and culture. The present work was aimed to investigate the specie abundance, the diet composition and seasonal variations in the feeding habit of Snow barbell Schizothorax plagiostomus.Materials, Methods & Results: A total of 1799 fish specimens were caught at the confluence of six tributaries along river Indus at Indus Kohistan, northeastern Pakistan. The fish were collected by 5-panels of gill net during first week of each month. The site specific Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) and season specific CPUE of fish fauna were assessed. For the gut content analysis 240 samples (99 male and 141 females) of S. plagiostomus were selected on monthly basis. Frequency of occurrence method and volumetric method were applied to record the different food items in the gut of S. plagiostomus. The physico-chemical parameters, NO3 concentration and dissolved Co2 of water from different localities of river Indus were recorded month wise by Hach sensION 156 meter, Horiba LAQUA Nitrate Meter and EA80 meter respectively. Significant difference was observed in water temperature during the four seasons. Except alkalinity no other water parameter showed significant variation across different localities. The results showed that highest Mean CPUE was observed for Darel Stream (0.55) and lowest for Jalkot stream (0.26). Peak abundance of fish was recorded in the month of November with a mean catch of 44.50, mean CPUE of 0.74 and mean Kruskal-Wallis rank value of 63.25. Spirogyra and Ulothrix occurred as maximum food items in the gut of S. plagiostomus during summer while their minimum amount occurred during autumn. According to the ranking index spirogyra and ulothrix ranked higher with significant difference in comparison to other food items. The results showed that S. plagiostomus is phytophagous in its feeding habit, which consumed mainly algae attached to stones and pebbles during the whole year. However, the presence of some secondary items such as animal matter, detritus, sand and mud might be due to the distinct availabilities of food along the seasons. The highest feeding activity of S. plagiostomus was recorded during summer while the lowest one occurred during autumn, spring and winter. Discussion: Catch per unit effort (CPUE) is an indirect measure of the abundance of a target species. It is used as an index of stock abundance in fisheries and conservation biology. During the study low fish fauna was found in River Indus as reported previously. Majority of the fish occurred in snow fed river tributaries in the study area as these tributaries are comparatively less turbulent. Previous studies have also recorded that Schizothoracine generally prefer clean waters. The present findings of gut contents analysis showed clearly that S. plagiostomus is a phytophagous fish which scrap and consumed spirogyra and ulothrix attached to stones and pebbles. Earlier it was reported that mouth of S. plagiostomusis is inferior, wide, with deep lower jaw having keratinized cutting edge and the lower lip is folded and expanded with numerous papillae making it best suited for scrapping algae attached to stones and pebbles. The highest feeding activity was observed during warmer months as compared to cold months. S. plagiostomus spawn twice in a year in autumn and in spring. The highest feeding activity of S. plagiostomus seems to be link with a reflex of recovery strategy due to physiological process of gonadal development.

Climatology and process-oriented analysis of the Adriatic sea-level extremes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jadranka Sepic ◽  
Mira Pasaric ◽  
Iva Medugorac ◽  
Ivica Vilibic ◽  
Maja Karlovic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Adriatic Sea ◽  
The South ◽  
Northern Adriatic ◽  
Atmospheric Waves ◽  
Tidal Forcing ◽  
Atmospheric Processes ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Adriatic Coast

<p>The northern and the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea are occasionally affected by extreme sea-levels known to cause substantial material damage. These extremes appear due to the superposition of several ocean processes that occur at different periods, have different spatial extents, and are caused by distinct forcing mechanisms.</p><p>To better understand the extremes, hourly sea-level time series from six tide-gauge stations located along the northern and the eastern Adriatic coast (Venice, Trieste, Rovinj, Bakar, Split, Dubrovnik) were collected for the period of 1956 to 2015 (1984 to 2015 for Venice) and analysed. The time series have been checked for spurious data, and then decomposed using tidal analysis and filtering procedures. The following time series were thus obtained for each station: (1) trend; (2) seasonal signal; (3) tides; (4-7) sea-level oscillations at periods: (4) longer than 100 days, (5) from 10 to 100 days, (6) from 6 hours to 10 days, and (7) shorter than 6 hours. These bands correspond, respectively, to sea-level fluctuations dominantly forced by (but not restricted to): (1) climate change and land uplift and sinking; (2) seasonal changes; (3) tidal forcing; (4); quasi-stationary atmospheric and ocean circulation and climate variability patterns; (5) planetary atmospheric waves; (6) synoptic atmospheric processes; and (7) mesoscale atmospheric processes.</p><p>Positive sea-level extremes surpassing 99.95 and 99.99 percentile values, and negative sea-level extremes lower than 0.05 and 0.01 percentile values were extracted from the original time series for each station. It was shown that positive (negative) extremes are up to 50-100% higher (lower) in the northern than in the south-eastern Adriatic. Then, station-based distributions, return periods, seasonal distributions, event durations, and trends were estimated and assessed. It was shown that the northern Adriatic positive sea-level extremes are dominantly caused by synoptic atmospheric processes superimposed to positive tide (contributing jointly to ~70% of total extreme height), whereas more to the south-east, positive extremes are caused by planetary atmospheric waves, synoptic atmospheric processes, and tides (each contributing with an average of ~25%). As for the negative sea-level extremes, these are due to a combination of planetary atmospheric waves and tides: in the northern Adriatic tide provides the largest contribution (~60%) while in the south-eastern Adriatic the two processes are of similar impact (each contributing with an average of ~30%). The simultaneity of the events along the entire northern and eastern Adriatic coast was studied as well, revealing that positive extremes are strongly regional dependant, i.e. that they usually appear simultaneously only along one part of the coast, whereas negative extremes are more likely to appear along the entire coast at the same time.</p><p>Finally, it is suggested that the distribution of sea-level extremes along the south-eastern Adriatic coast can be explained as a superposition of tidal forcing and prevailing atmospheric processes, whereas for the northern Adriatic, strong topographic enhancement of sea-level extremes is also important.</p>

Chamelea gallina reproductive biology and Minimum Conservation Reference Size: implications for fishery management in the Adriatic Sea

BMC Zoology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Giada Bargione ◽  
Fortunata Donato ◽  
Giulio Barone ◽  
Massimo Virgili ◽  
Pierluigi Penna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Maturity ◽  
Adriatic Sea ◽  
Seawater Temperature ◽  
Reproductive Capacity ◽  
Great Effort ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Spawning Period ◽  
The Past ◽  
Chamelea Gallina ◽  
Size At Sexual Maturity

Abstract Background The striped venus clam Chamelea gallina is an economically important species in Adriatic Sea fisheries. The use of hydraulic dredging for its catch has a long history in Italy and its management faced several stages of development in the last 40 years. A great effort has been made in the past two decades to move from poorly or weakly managed fisheries to a well-structured co-management system to improve the sustainability of this fishery. However, a prerequisite for appropriate resource management is a sound knowledge of the biology and reproductive strategy of the species. Results We investigated three major biological features– the gametogenic cycle, size at sexual maturity and partial fecundity – by microscopic, histological and video analysis techniques. We demonstrated that its breeding season is driven by rises in seawater temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration and that its spawning period lasted from March to September. Size at sexual maturity was reached very early in the life cycle. As regards partial fecundity – the number of mature oocytes potentially released by females with ripe gonads in a single release event – varied in relation to size. Nevertheless, the reduction on the Minimum Conservation Reference Size (MCRS) from 25 to 22 mm (Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/2237) lead to a 40% reduction in the number of emitted eggs. Conclusions We suggest that the ability of Adriatic clam stocks to withstand the strong fishing pressure of the past 40 years and the present one is due to their high reproductive potential and multiple spawning events combined with the effect of management measures (closed areas/seasons, quota, MCRS) and technical constraints on the gear and the sieve on board. Moreover, since the reduced MCRS for Venus shells is still larger than the size at maturity, it will probably not be detrimental to the reproductive capacity of the stock.

scholarly journals Diel feeding pattern and diet of rough scad Trachurus lathami Nichols, 1920 (Carangidae) from the Southwestern Atlantic

2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 419-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Raquel de Carvalho ◽  
Lucy Satiko Hashimoto Soares
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Activity ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Feeding Time ◽  
Frequency Of Occurrence ◽  
Southwestern Atlantic ◽  
Calanoid Copepods ◽  
Teleostean Fish ◽  
Dark Cycle ◽  
Percent Number ◽  
Decapod Larvae

Diel changes in feeding activity and dietary composition of the rough scad Trachurus lathami were investigated through the analysis of stomach contents of 307 fish sampled over a 24-h period on the continental shelf off Ubatuba (23º 35'S 45ºW). Stomach contents were analyzed by frequency of occurrence (O%), percent number (N%), percent mass (M%), and feeding index (FI% = O% * M%). Rough scad fed on mollusks (Gastropoda, Crepidula sp.), crustacean (Ostracoda, Copepoda, decapod larvae), chaetognat and teleostean fish. The main items were calanoid copepods (Eucalanus sp. and Centropages sp.). According to the analysis of the stomach fullness and prey digestion, T. lathami is both a diurnal and nocturnal feeder, showing some seasonal variation in feeding time. According to the Chronobiology concept, it was raised the hypothesis of circadian rhythm in feeding of this fish, probably synchronized by light/dark cycle.

Species in the faeces: DNA metabarcoding as a method to determine the diet of the endangered yellow-eyed penguin

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 509
Author(s):  
Melanie J. Young ◽  
Ludovic Dutoit ◽  
Fiona Robertson ◽  
Yolanda van Heezik ◽  
Philip J. Seddon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Pcr Primers ◽  
Fish Prey ◽  
Genus Level ◽  
Faecal Samples ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Dna Metabarcoding ◽  
Reference Databases ◽  
Diet Assessment

Abstract Context. Diet variability is a significant driver of seabird decline; however, data on seabird diet composition and trends have been affected by changes in precision and resolution owing to the evolution of different sampling methods over time. We investigated the effectiveness of applying a passive molecular diet method using faeces obtained from the endangered yellow-eyed penguin. Aims. To assess the feasibility of applying DNA metabarcoding methods to yellow-eyed penguin faeces to evaluate diet, and to compare the reliability of diet results derived from adults and chicks, and from latrine versus fresh faecal samples. Methods. We collected 313 faecal samples from yellow-eyed penguins resident on the Otago coast of New Zealand from October 2016 to August 2017. We used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with mitochondrial 16S cephalopod and chordate primers to amplify prey DNA present in the faecal samples, and tested the completeness of our assembled reference databases based on previous diet research. Amplified prey DNA sequences were then assigned to taxa from our reference databases by using QIIME2. Key results. Mitochondrial 16S chordate PCR primers were effective at identifying 29 fish taxa, with 98.3% of amplified sequences being identified to species or genus level in 193 samples (61.7% collected). There was no significant difference in the number, occurrence or proportion of ray-finned fish prey DNA sequences derived from fresh samples or latrines. Mitochondrial 16S cephalopod PCR primers classified 1.98% of amplified DNA sequences as targets, with 96.5% of these target sequences being identified to species or genus level in 48 samples (15.3% collected), and five taxa identified. Conclusions. We recommend the collection of latrine samples to enable long-term monitoring of the diet of yellow-eyed penguins, which will optimise the trade-off between wildlife disturbance and dietary resolution. Further refinement is needed to identify cephalopod dietary components for yellow-eyed penguins, because our cephalopod primers were not as specific as those used for ray-finned fishes, amplifying a large number (>98%) of non-cephalopod species. Implications. DNA metabarcoding offers a robust and comprehensive alternative to other, more intrusive, seabird diet-assessment methods, but still requires parallel studies to provide critical information on prey size, true diet composition and diet quality.

scholarly journals Feeding of mature cod (Gadus morhua) on the spawning grounds in Lofoten

2008 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 571-580 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathrine Michalsen ◽  
Edda Johannesen ◽  
Bjarte Bogstad
Keyword(s):  
Diet Composition ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Lower Proportion ◽  
Clupea Harengus ◽  
Stomach Fullness ◽  
Spawning Grounds ◽  
Spawning Period ◽  
Established Fact ◽  
A Minor

Abstract Michalsen, K., Johannesen, E., and Bogstad, B. 2008. Feeding of mature cod (Gadus morhua) on the spawning grounds in Lofoten. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 65: 571–580. Many authors state that cod (Gadus morhua) do not feed during the spawning period. However, this more or less established fact has rarely been investigated in the field. Here, the content of stomachs from Northeast Arctic cod (NEAC) and Norwegian coastal cod (NCC) sampled from the spawning ground in Lofoten were examined over a 10-year period (1996–2006). The occurrence of food in the stomachs of spawning cod, stomach fullness, diet composition, and variation in these variables between NEAC and NCC, year, and sex were analysed and compared. The analysis shows that cod do feed, even when they are in a spawning state. NCC had a lower proportion of empty stomachs and the stomachs were fuller than those from NEAC. Females had a lower proportion of empty stomachs than males and their stomachs were in general fuller. Herring (Clupea harengus) dominated the diet of cod. However, cod consumption of herring on the spawning grounds seems to be a minor source of mortality on herring. Although spawning cod do feed, the proportion of empty stomachs was higher and stomach fullness was lower than in stomachs of NEAC from the Barents Sea.

The effects of mulch (Olea europea and Pinus halepensis) on burned soils: A preliminary study in Adriatic coast (Croatia)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Domina Delač ◽  
Paulo Pereira ◽  
Ivica Kisić
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Soil Ph ◽  
Pinus Halepensis ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Summer Drought ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Adriatic Coast ◽  
Olea Europea ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
And Control

<p><strong>The effects of mulch (<em>Olea europea</em> and <em>Pinus halepensis</em>) on burned soils: A preliminary study in Adriatic coast (Croatia)</strong></p><p>Delac, Domina<sup>1*</sup>; Pereira, Paulo<sup>2*</sup>; Kisic, Ivica<sup>1</sup></p><p><sup>1</sup>University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of General Agronomy, Svetosimunska cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. (*[email protected])</p><p><sup>2</sup>Mykolas Romeris University, Environmental Management Laboratory, Ateitis street 20, LT-08303, Vilnius, Lithuania (*[email protected])</p><p> </p><p>In the recent decades the frequency and intensity of summer drought periods is increasing in Adriatic coast. These changes in climate increase the vulnerability to wildfires. Wildfires can change soil physical and chemical properties. However, these effects can be mitigated by mulching. The aim of this work is to study the effects of mulch (<em>Olea europea</em> and <em>Pinus halepensis</em>) on fire affected soils. The wildfire occurred on 28 July 2019 and affected an area of about 900 ha in Dalmatia, near Adriatic Coast (43°45'06.0"N 15°56'02.9"E with an elevation of 105 m a.s.l.).  The mean annual temperature is 15.8 °C, and the annual precipitation is 800 mm. It was affected agricultural land with dominant culture <em>Olea europea</em> and abandoned grassing where dominates <em>Pinus halepensis</em>. Soils are classified as <em>calcocambisols</em>. Twenty-five days after the fire, two plots (5 treatments per plot) were established and covered with <em>Olea europea</em> and <em>Pinus halepensis</em> mulch. A control plot was established as well. Soil were sampled (0 – 5 cm), twenty- days after fire (August, 2019), before mulch application, and then 3 months after fire (November, 2019). A total of 15 samples were collected per treatment (45 each sampling date). The soil properties analysed were soil pH, soil organic matter (SOM), mean weight diameter (MWD) to express aggregate stability, and soil water repellency (SWR) measured with water drop penetration time method (WDPT) in different fractions (2 – 1 mm; 1 – 0.5 mm, 0.5 – 0.25 mm, and <0.25 mm). Soil pH was not significantly different among sampling dates and treatments. SOM was significantly different among sampling dates for <em>Olea europeae</em> treatment and control. <em>Olea europeae</em> treatment had a significantly higher SOM then <em>Pinus halepensis</em> and control treatment. MWD was significantly higher within <em>Olea europeae</em> treatment. Within <em>Pinus halepensis</em> and control treatment no significant difference was observed. The soil was classified as slightly water repellent (5 – 60 seconds) in <em>Olea europeae</em> soil finer fraction (0.5 – 0.25 mm and <0.25) in both sampling dates. In <em>Pinus halepensis</em> treatments and control, soil was wettable (<5 seconds), and no significant difference was observed among sampling date. Future sampling and analysis will be conducted during one year to estimate the effect of <em>Olea europeae</em> and <em>Pinus halepensis</em> mulch on soil properties.</p><p><strong>Keywords: </strong>Wildfire, <em>Olea europeae</em><strong>, </strong><em>Pinus halepensis</em>, mulch.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Acknowledgments</strong></p><p>This work was supported by Croatian Science Foundation through the project "Influence of Summer Fire on Soil and Water Quality” (IP-01-2018-1645).</p>

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