Estimation of growth, mortality, production and stock size of sardine, Sardina pilchardus (WALB.) from the middle Adriatic

Abstract

      Age, growth, mortality, production and stock size were studied on the material of Sardina pllchardus from the mid­dle Adriatic. Samples were collected between September 1979 and March 1981. Age was determined by means of ali­zarine stained otoliths. Calculated von Bertalanffy’s growth constants were L_∞= 20.5 cm; K = 0.46; t₀ = - 0.5.                              Instantaneous mortality rates, survival rate and exploitation rate were estimated as a function of age. The stock size of the eastern middle Adriatic sardine population for the period 1979 - 1981 and annual sardine production were esti­mated.