We used fishery and survey data to calculate annual surplus production (ASP) and instantaneous surplus production rates (ISPR) for eight anchovy and nine sardine stocks. In addition, we calculated ASP per unit spawning area for six anchovy and six sardine stocks. Median ASP was highest for stocks with highest median biomass (mostly anchovies), and ASP was typically about 16% of stock biomass. ASP was often negative, more frequently for anchovies (36% of years) than for sardines (17% of years). ISPR was less variable for sardines and autocorrelated for longer-lived stocks (mostly sardines). Strong biomass increases tended to be preceded by short, abrupt increases in ISPR, and declines were pronounced when catches exceeded ASP for 5 years or more. The longest "runs" of positive and negative production were 21 and 4 years for sardine off Japan, 10 and 3 years for sardine off California, 8 and 2 years for anchovy off Peru, and 4 and 3 years for anchovy off California. ISPR is more sensitive to environmental changes than catch, biomass, or ASP and appear to be better for identifying environmentally induced regime shifts. Long time series show evidence of density-dependent effects on ASP in anchovies and sardines, but environmentally induced variation appears to dominate.Résumé : Des statistiques de pêche et des données d'inventaire nous ont servi à calculer la production excédentaire annuelle (ASP) et les taux instantanés de production excédentaire (ISPR) chez huit stocks d'anchois et neuf stocks de sardines. De plus, nous avons calculé l'ASP par unité de surface de frayère chez six stocks d'anchois et six stocks de sardines. L'ASP moyen est maximal chez les stocks qui possèdent la plus grande biomasse médiane (surtout des anchois) et correspond normalement à environ 16% de la biomasse du stock. L'ASP est souvent négative, plus souvent chez les anchois (36% des années) que chez les sardines (17% des années). L'ISPR est moins variable chez les sardines et est autocorrelé chez les stocks à longévité plus grande (surtout des sardines). Les augmentations importantes de biomasse sont normalement précédées d'une croissance abrupte de l'ISPR; lorsque les prises dépassent l'ASP pour

We used fishery and survey data to calculate annual surplus production (ASP) and instantaneous surplus production rates (ISPR) for eight anchovy and nine sardine stocks. In addition, we calculated ASP per unit spawning area for six anchovy and six sardine stocks. Median ASP was highest for stocks with highest median biomass (mostly anchovies), and ASP was typically about 16% of stock biomass. ASP was often negative, more frequently for anchovies (36% of years) than for sardines (17% of years). ISPR was less variable for sardines and autocorrelated for longer-lived stocks (mostly sardines). Strong biomass increases tended to be preceded by short, abrupt increases in ISPR, and declines were pronounced when catches exceeded ASP for 5 years or more. The longest "runs" of positive and negative production were 21 and 4 years for sardine off Japan, 10 and 3 years for sardine off California, 8 and 2 years for anchovy off Peru, and 4 and 3 years for anchovy off California. ISPR is more sensitive to environmental changes than catch, biomass, or ASP and appear to be better for identifying environmentally induced regime shifts. Long time series show evidence of density-dependent effects on ASP in anchovies and sardines, but environmentally induced variation appears to dominate.

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SUMMARY: Age and growth rates of the anchovy larvae (Engraulis anchoita) in Argentine waters were estimated by analysing daily growth increments in sagittal otoliths under light microscope. The samples were collected during 2000 on the Argentine coastal shelf using a Bongo net. A total of 251 larvae were analysed (size range 3.5 to 12.2 mm standard length). Length-at-age and standard length-otolith radius relationships were best described by linear models. We put forward the hypothesis of differential larval growth in anchovy in relation to seasonality. Mean growth rates at four days before capture were determined by back-calculation and analysed in relation to temperature. The growth rate values obtained from the linear growth models were 0.51 mm day -1 (spring), 0.41 mm day -1 (summer) and 0.42 mm day -1 (autumn). Significant variations were detected between spring and summer and between spring and autumn. These variations do not seem to be associated with a thermal influence.Keywords: anchovy, Engraulis anchoita, larval growth, otoliths, age. RESUMEN:Variaciones estacionales en el crecimiento de larvas de anchoíta (Engraulis anchoita) en la zona costera argentina. -Se determinó la edad y el crecimiento de larvas de anchoíta (Engraulis anchoita) mediante el conteo y medición de los incrementos diarios de los otolitos sagitta. Las larvas fueron capturadas en la Plataforma Costera Argentina durante el año 2000 por medio de una red Bongo. Se analizaron un total de 251 larvas entre 3.5 a 12.2 mm. Las relaciones talla-edad y talla -radio del otolito se representaron mediante modelos lineales para cada estación del año (primavera-veranootoño). La mayor tasa de crecimiento, calculada como la pendiente de los modelos talla -edad, se registró en primavera (0.51 mm dia -1 ) la menor en verano (0.41 mm dia -1 ), mientras que otoño presentó una tasa de crecimiento intermedia (0.42 mm dia -1 ). Si bien no se encontraron diferencias significativas en las tasas de crecimiento entre verano y otoño, sí las hubo entre primavera y verano y entre primavera y otoño. Se calculó una tasa de crecimiento larvaria 4 días antes de la captura mediante retrocálculo y se la relacionó con la temperatura. Las variaciones en el crecimiento no parecen relacionarse con la influencia térmica.

Most important causes of larval mortality are predation and starvation. The latter can be assessed by the measurement of the nutritional condition. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the nutritional condition of E. anchoita larvae employing morphometric techniques in three different hydrographic areas of the Argentine sea in order to establish regional and interpopulation variability: El Rincón coastal area, Outer-shelf and Península Valdés tidal front. Sampled larvae from El Rincón coastal area showed a higher growth rate (growth curve slope = 3.575) but had lower weight, and thus low Fulton (15.71 ± 3.58, n = 41) and Le Cren (0.63 ± 0.13, n = 41) condition indices, in comparison to specimens from the other two areas (P < 0.001). The Principal Component Analysis, employing morphometrical variables and weight, separated larvae from El Rincón from larvae captured in the other areas. These results could be explained as a consequence of an increase in density dependent mortality or food competition in El Rincón due to a year with an exceptional high larvae production. Our results showed that the use of morphometrical variables and weight allow to find differences in growth rate and nutritional condition among anchovy larvae collected in areas characterized by dissimilar oceanographic scenarios.