Inter-annual variability in distribution and spatial abundance of sprat, Norway pout and small herring in the North Sea

Keyl, Friedemann

doi:10.1007/s10750-017-3132-4

Cited by 1 publication

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“…Most of what we know about co‐existence of small clupeids comes from studies of systems involving sardine ( Sardina pilchardus ) and anchovy ( Engraulis encrasicolus ) (Alheit et al, 2009), whereas other multi‐species systems, such as those involving herring ( Clupea harengus ) and sprat ( Sprattus sprattus ), or sprat and sardine are much less studied (e.g., Huwer, 2004; Keyl, 2017; Möllmann et al, 2004; Voss et al, 2009). Furthermore, the majority of such comparative and multi‐species system studies have focused on feeding ecology and dynamic patterns in the adult stage, whereas environmental preferences during the early life phases have received much less attention (Peck et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial separation of larval sprat (Sprattus sprattus) and sardine (Sardina pilchardus) related to hydrographical characteristics in the North Sea

Munk,

Huwer,

van Deurs

et al. 2023

Fisheries Oceanography

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Clupeid fish species are widely distributed and of highly variable stock sizes. In the North Sea, the common clupeid species are herring (Clupea harengus) and sprat (Sprattus sprattus), but during recent decades, the generally more southerly distributed sardine (Sardina pilchardus) have been more frequently observed. Comparative studies of early life stages of small pelagic clupeids are scarce, and their abilities to co‐exist and relations to environmental characteristics are vastly understudied. We here investigated and compared distributional patterns of co‐occurring larval sprat and sardine in the North Sea, hypothesizing that they are separated into spatial niches linked to specific hydrographical characteristics. Sampling was carried out by a large ring‐net during standard fish surveys (IBTS Q3) in August 2018, 2019, and 2020. Sprat larvae were found widespread across the area of investigation, with the highest concentration in the central North Sea off the eastern and northern flanks of Dogger Bank, where abundances could reach 20 larvae/m2. Sardine larvae, on the other hand, showed their highest abundances in the Southern and German Bights. Distributions of the two species appeared complementary, and statistical correlations were indicative of separate hydrographical niches, where sardine larvae resided in relatively warmer and fresher water. The relative abundances of sardine versus sprat varied between years. Sardine larvae were especially abundant in 2020, twice as abundant as sprat, and observations indicate increasing importance of sardines in the North Sea.

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