Resumen de The distribution and survival of larvae of sardine Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792) off the north and north-western Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula, in relation to environmental conditions
Eduardo Lopez Jamar, S.H. Coombs, A. García, N.C. Halliday, R. Knust, W. Nellen
As part of a SARP study (Sardine Anchovy Recruitment Project) the distribution of sardine larvae Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792) along the north and north-west coasts of Spain is described in relation to environmental conditions in 1992. Larvae, mostly in the range of 5-13 mm, were most abundant in April and May along the northern coast, with highest concentrations off Santander and in the western Cantabrian Sea. Correlation analyses did not reveal any clear association between larval distribution and abundance and the concurrent hydrographic and planktonic environment. A summary of analyses of the nutritional condition of the larvae indicated that specimens taken during May, when food abundance was lowest, were in the poorest condition. Subsequent juvenile surveys indicated that survival of larvae from spawning along the northern coast was negligible during all months of larval production. Based on the geographical and length distributions of larvae, it is suggested that, at least in 1992, the majority of juvenile recruits in the area off Galicia were derived from spawning further to the south, off Portugal. Loss of larvae from spawning along the northern coast seemed to be due primarily to offshore advection related to the Cantabrian Sea's hydrographic regime.
