The stable isotope signatures of marine transient and resident nekton were used to investigate trophic linkages between primary producers, marsh macrophytes, phytoplankton, benthic microalgae, and consumers within the Delaware Bay. A whole estuary approach was used to compare the flux of nutrients from primary producers to juvenile weakfish (Cynoscion regalis), bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli), a...

Morphometric, allozymic, and mitochondrial DNA variability previously indicated that the Mediterranean anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus includes two distinct forms, one of the inshore habitat, and the other one of the open-sea habitat. Here, we showed that the two forms significantly differ by several morphological characters. To test the hypothesis, proposed previously, that the two forms are di...

Unlike migratory seabirds with wide foraging ranges, resident seabirds forage in a relatively small range year-round and are thus particularly vulnerable to local shifts in prey availability. In order to manage their populations effectively, it is necessary to identify their key prey across and within years. Here, stomach content and stable isotope analyses were used to reconstruct the diet and...

At present, small pelagic forage fish species (includes anchovies, herring, mackerel, sardines, etc.) represent the largest landed species group in capture fisheries (27.3 million t or 29.7% of total capture fisheries landings in 2006). They also currently constitute the major species group actively fished and targeted for nonfood uses, including reduction into fishmeal and fish oil for use wit...

Twenty-first century conservation is centered on negotiating trade-offs between the diverse needs of people and the needs of the other species constituting coupled human-natural ecosystems. Marine forage fishes, such as sardines, anchovies, and herring, are a nexus for such trade-offs because they are both central nodes in marine food webs and targeted by fisheries. An important example is Paci...

One of the most remarkable types of migration found in animals is diadromy, a life-history behaviour in which individuals move between oceans and freshwater habitats for feeding and reproduction. Diadromous fishes include iconic species such as salmon, eels and shad, and have long fascinated biologists because they undergo extraordinary physiological and behavioural modifications to survive in ...

It is well known that temporal fluctuations in small populations deeply influence evolutionary potential. Less well known is whether fluctuations can influence the evolutionary potentials of species with large census sizes. Here, we estimated genetic population parameters from as survey of polymorphic microsatellite DNA loci in archived otoliths from Adriatic European anchovy (Engraulis encrasi...

Limited resources in the environment prevent individuals from simultaneously maximizing all life-history traits, resulting in trade-offs. In particular, the cost of reproduction is well known to negatively affect energy investment in growth and maintenance. Here, we investigated these trade-offs during contrasting periods of high versus low fish size and body condition (before/after 2008) in th...

Population structure of three kilka fishes (Clupeonella spp.), particularly anchovy kilka (C. engrauliformis), in Iranian waters of the Caspian Sea was surveyed in 2003. A total of 3230 biweekly samples were collected from commercially landed kilka at 3 stations in Mazandaran and Guilan provinces. Catch and effort statistics were obtained from the relevant organization. Results showed a great d...