Autumn growth and condition of anchovy larvae in the Argentine-Uruguayan Common Fishing Zone

The growth and nutritional condition of Engraulis anchoita larvae in the Argentine-Uruguayan Common Fishing Zone (AUCFZ) were determined. The condition was estimated considering the standardized RNA/DNA ratio (RDs) of the muscle trunk. Growth was studied calculating an instantaneous growth rate on the basis of a model that includes RDs and temperature. Otoliths growth was also calculated measuring the thickness of the last three fully formed daily increments. Samples were collected in March 2014. The 12 oblique tows performed with a Bongo net 300 μm mesh size showed presence of larvae in 6 of them. They were separated on board and fixed in liquid nitrogen. Afterwards, they were measured, heads dissected with a scalpel and muscle trunks individually lyophilized (N = 128). Two oceanographic sections located on the southern margin and northern margin of the AUCFZ (COSTAL I and II, respectively) were compared. The RDs ratio of larvae evidenced a good nutritional condition. No significant differences in the larval condition or growth between both sections were found. A positive correlation between the RDs index and size was observed; thus, comparisons were made considering the larval developmental stage. The RDs for pre-flexion larvae in COSTAL I was 2.53 ± 1.29 (n = 53) and 2.92 ± 1.22 (n = 7) in COSTAL II. For larvae in flexion it was 3.41 ± 1.07 (n = 22) and 2.91 ± 0.86 (n = 32) in sections I and II, respectively. The high nutritional condition of anchovy larvae indicates that the environmental characteristics observed in March in the study area would be appropriate for their growth and survival.