Condition states in anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) and sardine (Sardina pilchardus) revealed by energy and proximate composition relationships.

Energy content has long been proposed as a fundamental, integrated, and reliable indicator of the condition of individuals as it reflects past bioenergetics and influences future life-history traits. There is a direct biochemical link between energy density and body composition described by four main compounds in fish (protein, lipid, ash, and water), with proteins and lipids being the sources of energy. If relationships between water content, or lipid content, and energy density have been well described in relative terms, the absolute mass variations in the proximate composition have been overlooked and thus their interpretation is often equivocal.

Characterization of sound scattering layers in the Bay of Biscay using broadband acoustics, nets and video.

Sound scattering layers (SSLs) are observed over a broad range of spatio-temporal scales and geographical areas. SSLs represent a large biomass, likely involved in the biological carbon pump and the structure of marine trophic webs. Yet, the taxonomic composition remains largely unknown for many SSLs.