Open AccessStock Identification of Engraulis encrasicolus (Linnaeus, 1758) by Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) of Morphometric Characters in The North of Atlantic and Mediterranean Moroccan Coasts
Author(s) -
Mouna El qendouci,
Fatima Wariaghli,
Mehria Saadaoui,
Lobna Boudaya,
Lassâd Neifar,
Abderrahim Sadak,
Ahmed Yahyaoui
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
turkish journal of fisheries and aquatic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.343
H-Index - 29
eISSN - 2149-181X
pISSN - 1303-2712
DOI - 10.4194/1303-2712-v21_11_03
Subject(s) - engraulis , anchovy , fishery , fishing , mediterranean sea , geography , biology , mediterranean climate , population , ecology , fish <actinopterygii> , demography , sociology
The European anchovy, Engraulis encrasicolus (Linnaeus, 1758) is a small pelagic fish found in the eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. Anchovy (E. encrasicolus) are among the important finfishes harvested in Moroccan coasts. The stock structure of European anchovy in NW Africa is not truly known (FAO, 2013). To effectively manage the anchovy fisheries, it is important to understand the anchovy stock structure. Therefore, discriminant function analysis (DFA) based on morphometric characters was conducted on a total of 204 adult anchovy specimens, seasonally collected by commercial fishing vessels from the region of Mehdia in the North Atlantic area and from the region of M’diq in the Mediterranean coast during the year 2019. Body shape variation, which is often environmentally induced, may provide a good record population structuring. Our data were subjected to univariate statistics of variance (ANOVA) by using SPSS 20 software version. The morphometric characteristics show a separation of two stocks of Engraulis encrasicolus between the two localities. These findings will have major implications for anchovy fisheries management in Morocco.