Preprint volume - SIBM

Pre-print Volume – Oral presentations
Topic 3: INTEGRATED COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT
P. GUIDETTI, M. PETRILLO 1 , G. DE BENEDETTO 2 , G. ALBERTELLI 1
DiSTeBA, University of Salento - 73100 Lecce, Italy.
paolo.guidetti@unisalento.it
1 Dip.Te.Ris., University of Genoa, Corso Europa, 26 - 16132, Genoa, Italy.
2 DBAS, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy.
NATAL ORIGIN OF EUROPEAN ANCHOVY: A CASE STUDY
IN THE LIGURIAN SEA (NW MEDITERRANEAN)
ORIGINE NATALE DELL’ACCIUGA EUROPEA: UN CASO DI STUDIO
IN MAR LIGURE (ITALIA, MEDITERRANEO NORD OCCIDENTALE)
Abstract – Persistence of fishing stocks depends also on the supply of eggs and larvae. Here the natal
origin of European anchovy in the eastern Ligurian Sea was investigated by using LA-ICPMS analyses on
otolith cores. The indication of single or multiple natal origins was found to change year by year (i.e. for
each annual cohort). These first results could involve a different risk of fluctuation or collapse (higher in
the case of a single natal origin) of European anchovy stocks year by year.
Key-words: larval origin, otolith core, LA-ICPMS, Engraulis encrasicolus, Ligurian Sea.
Introduction – Small pelagic fish are essential in marine ecosystems for connecting
lower and upper trophic levels (Palomera et al., 2007). Some species, in addition, like
European anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus L., represent valuable resources for fisheries
in the Mediterranean Sea (Lleonard & Maynou, 2003). Fluctuations of pelagic fish
stocks, therefore, may have relevant ecological impacts and socio-economic
implications (Chavez et al., 2003; Palomera et al., 2007).
Dynamics and persistence of fish populations strongly depend on production/supply of
eggs and larvae (Fontes et al., 2009 and references therein) and the related mortality
rates (La Mesa et al., 2009). In recent years, new approaches have been developed and
proposed to investigate larval dispersal and to identify natal origin, which represent
useful information for conservation and stock management purposes. Microchemical
analyses of otoliths, from this perspective, are becoming more and more popular
worldwide to investigate natal origin of fish (Panfili et al., 2002; Fontes et al., 2009).
The technique is based on the fact that varying physico-chemical characteristics of
seawater reflect in the otolith, forming a permanent record of past environmental
conditions experienced by the fish (Panfili et al., 2002).
The aim of this study is to assess the potential of the use of microchemical analyses of
otolith cores of anchovy to investigate natal origin of individuals forming local stocks.
Materials and methods – A number of 100 adult anchovies were collected at Sestri
Levante (Genoa; eastern Ligurian Sea; Fig. 1) in August 2009.
41 st S.I.B.M. CONGRESS Rapallo (GE), 7-11 June 2010
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