Daily otolith growth and ontogenetic geochemical signatures of age-0 anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) in the Gulf of Cádiz (SW Spain)
Authors
Catalán, I.A. (Ignacio Alberto); Pérez-Mayol, S. (Silvia); Álvarez, I. (Itziar); Ruiz, J. (Javier); Palmer, M. (Miquel); Baldó, F. (Francisco); Peliz, A.J. (Álvaro J.); Morales-Nin, B. (Beatriz)Date
2014Type
research articleKeywords
Engraulis encrasicolusGulf of Cádiz
otolith microchemistry
growth
estuarine
Guadalquivir River
Abstract
The European anchovy fishery in the Gulf of Cádiz (ICES Division IXa South) is largely influenced by age-0 individuals. Knowledge of young of the year growth dynamics is crucial for management, yet data on daily growth are lacking in the area. Linking growth patterns to the environment requires information on habitat occupancy through ontogeny of the fish that reach the fishery, as anchovy use different areas of the Gulf and the Guadalquivir Estuary through development. We describe the growth dynamics of age-0 anchovy through otolith microstructure analysis, and couple these data with data on microchemical signals in the otoliths to shed light into habitat use and growth dynamics in the area. Age-0 anchovy captured in September, 2011 in the Gulf ranged from 3 to 6 months old for similar sizes, with average growth rates varying twofold. Individual non-linear growth curves showed that maximum otolith growth was positively correlated with the date of spawning, which in turn was negatively ...