Age, growth, mortality and sex ratio of sand smelt, Atherina boyeri Risso, 1810 (Pisces: Atherinidae) in the estuary of the Mala Neretva River (middle-eastern Adriatic, Croatia)

Abstract

The present study investigated the age, growth, mortality and morphometry of the sand smelt, Atherina boyeri, in the Mala Neretva River estuary (mid-eastern Adriatic Sea). The study of scale annuli showed that the population is up to 4 years of age. However, most sand smelt are in their first and second year; the numbers of older individuals are very low because they migrate upstream and are heavily fished. The von Bertalanffy parameters for the total sample of sand smelt were found to be L∞ = 13.5 cm, K = 0.37 year−1 and t0 = −0.97. Overall total mortality was estimated at 1.81 year−1, natural mortality was 0.90 year−1 and fishing mortality was 0.91 year−1.