Inferring Population Structure from Early Life Stage: The Case of the European Anchovy in the Sicilian and Maltese Shelves

The European anchovy is an important fishing resource in the Sicilian Channel that supportsa high recruitment success variability. The presence of two spawning areas, the drifting of the larvaealong the currents and the different oceanographic conditions within the region suggest the presenceof different larvae subpopulations. Morphometric and biochemical approaches have been used toanalyze the differences among larvae collected. The amino acid composition discriminates two larvalgroups closely related to the spawning regions: Adventure Bank and the shelf between the Southof Sicily and Malta. In addition, there are morphometric and growth differences between recentlyhatched larvae in these two regions, reinforcing the hypothesis of two larval subpopulations andsuggesting differences in the parental reproduction effort. Between the South of Sicily and Maltathere are growth and biochemical composition differences since larvae from the Maltese coast presenta higher protein content and a bigger growth rate than those from Sicily, pointing out that Malta is anarea with a better nutritional condition environment. No differences in the growth rate have beenobserved between the Adventure Bank area and the Maltese shelf, therefore, a diverse nutritionalcondition cannot be suggested between these two areas despite the Maltese larvae having a higherprotein content present.