Journal
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Volume 9, Issue 4, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/jmse9040389
Keywords
European hake; Merluccius merluccius; fecundity; somatic indices; Adriatic Sea; L-50
Categories
Funding
- Italian Ministry of Agricultural, Food, and Forestry Policies (MiPAAF)
- European Union (Italian National Program 2011-2013)
- European Union (Italian National Program 2014-2016)
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The study focused on the macroscopic, histological, and biometric analysis of European hake females in GSA 17 (Central-North Adriatic Sea) from 2013 to 2015. Reproductive parameters such as spawning season, length at first maturity, and fecundity were analyzed, providing valuable information for sustainable resource management. This research contributes to a better understanding of the European hake population in the overfished Central-North Adriatic Sea region.
The study focused on the macroscopic, histological, and biometric analysis of European hake females in GSA 17 (Central-North Adriatic Sea). From 2013 to 2015, 976 females were collected and analyzed monthly. Though females in spawning conditions were found during the whole year, the trend of GSI showed a peak of the reproductive season from April to July in 2014 and 2015. HSI and K-n reached the highest values in September, after the spawning peaks. In 2013, the trend of these indices did not highlight an evident peak, probably due to an adverse event that occurred in the previous winter in the Adriatic shelf. The length at first maturity (L-50) was estimated by macroscopic and histological approaches, resulting in 30.81 cm for the macroscopical length and 33.73 cm for the histological length; both values are higher than the current catching legal size. For the first time in this area, batch and relative fecundity were estimated. Relative fecundity was similar to the Mediterranean and the Atlantic stocks, whereas batch fecundity values were lower compared to other fishing grounds. Overall, the analysis of reproductive parameters plays a fundamental role in the sustainable management of this resource in an area as overfished as the Central-North Adriatic Sea.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available