Sex ratio, sexual maturity, fecundity and time of spawning of the Spanish sardine (Sardinella aurita) from the south-eastern area of Margarita Island were determined through monthly samplings of commercial fisheries, from January 2004 to April 2005. A total of 3 736 individuals were examined. Sex ratio was 55.47% females and 44.53% males, with a 1:1.25 sexual proportion (chi2 = 44.454, p < 0.05). Length at first sexual maturity (L50) was 20 cm. Spawning of the species was confirmed to be partial and continuous throughout the year, with two peaks of intensity during the first and last quarters. Absolute fecundity ranged from 10,530 to 83,779 oocytes and it was proportional to body length (F = -100,900 + 6696.2 * L) and to body weight (F = 13,327 + 5666.3 * P). Relative fecundity ranged from 149 to 1020 oocytes/g and also was proportional to body length and weight. We concluded that the Spanish sardine exhibits two peaks of spawning activity per year with a very fluctuating partial fecundity which could possibly be explained by environmental variability.
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Parasitol Res
December 2024
Institute of Marine Research (IMR), Nordnesgaten 50, NO-5005, Bergen, Norway.
European sardine Sardina pilchardus is a commercially valuable coastal pelagic fish species. Spain is one of the largest sardine suppliers in Europe and the Iberian stock is of particular significance. Kudoa parasites are known to infect sardines causing the so-called 'soft flesh' condition; however, data on the occurrence of 'soft flesh' in this sardine stock are limited.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Total Environ
January 2025
Grupo Interuniversitario de Toxicología Alimentaria y Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Área de Toxicología, Universidad de La Laguna, Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.
This study evaluates the concentration of metals and trace elements (Al, Cd, Cu, Fe, Li, Pb, Zn) in the muscle tissue of Sardina pilchardus from three northeast Atlantic localities (Lisbon, Canary Islands, Rabat) and two western Mediterranean sites (Málaga, Cartagena) to assess food safety and environmental impact. A total of 100 sardines were sampled between January and June 2019, with specimens collected, homogenized by size and weight, and analyzed for metal content using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). Results show significant geographical variation in metal concentrations, with Cartagena exhibiting the highest levels due to industrial and urban activities, while the Canary Islands had the lowest, likely influenced by geographical isolation and stringent environmental regulations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Pollut Res Int
February 2024
Grupo Interuniversitario de Toxicología Alimentaria y Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.
The contamination present in an organism varies depending on biological and oceanographic conditions, so monitoring the same species is of great importance to understand the state of the ecosystem. Fifteen specimens in Sardina pilchardus between 12 and 15 cm in total length were collected during the second half of January of each of the study years (2014, 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022). Samples were analyzed with Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) to measure metals (Al, Cd, Cu, Fe, Li, Ni, Pb and Zn) in mg/Kg.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Total Environ
January 2024
Ecopath International Initiative (EII), Barcelona, Spain.
In the Western Mediterranean Sea, forage fishes have changed in abundance, body condition, growth, reproduction, and distribution in the last decades. Different hypotheses have been proposed to explain these changes, including increase in fishing mortality; changes in environmental conditions affecting species fitness, and planktonic productivity and quality; recovery of top predators; and increase in competitors. We investigated the main drivers and changes of the pelagic ecosystem and their effects using an ecosystem-based modelling approach.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Res
November 2023
Department of Analytical and Applied Chemistry, School of Engineering, Institut Químic de Sarrià-Universitat Ramon Llull (IQS-URL), Via Augusta 390, 08017, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address:
Since the 1940s, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been widely produced and used in various applications due to their unique properties. Consequently, the principal exposure routes of PFAS have been broadly studied, leading to the conclusion that dietary exposure (more specifically, the consumption of fish and seafood) was one of their main contributors. Thus, developing an analytical method that determines the level of PFAS in fish and seafood has become a relevant subject.
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