Etude comparative du cycle sexuel et de la relation taille-poids de deux especes d'atherines en Tunisie.

Abstract

The growth and reproductive properties of sand smelt caught from Kerkennah islands Atherina lagunae and the north coasts of Tunisia Atherina boyeri were studied by sampling carried out between January 2008 and December 2008. A total of 1060 specimens were examined. The sex of species was determined macroscopically and the proportion of males was significantly lower than that of females. Lengthweight relationship of Atherina lagunae was estimated as W= 0.0085TL2.9313 for females and W= 0.009TL2.8789 for males, being allometrically negative for both sexes. For the length-weight relationship of Atherina boyeri, allometry is positive for both sexes. The reproductive season, evaluated from the gonado-somatic index (GSI), extended from March to June for specimens from Kerkennah islands and from March to July for Sand smelt from north coasts of Tunisia.