ISSN:
1095-8649
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
The sardine Limnothrissa miodon was very patchily distributed in Lake Kariba in 1981–1983 and its mean biomass was 59 23 kg ha−1, declining from 90–91 kg ha−1 in 1981 to 38–66 kg ha−1 in 1983. In addition, the mean size of the fish fell from 55–2 mm in 1981 to 49–9 mm in 1983. These changes are attributed to the effects of drought and reduced river flows as well as to the high level of commercial fishing for this species. There was a correlation between commercial catches and biomass estimates which allowed estimation of biomass in previous years from fishing statistics. Fishing effort appeared to be a major influence on sardine abundance: total biomass in 1985 was about 10% of what it was in 1974 when the fishery began. When expressed in terms of unit area, as is usual for African lakes, the pelagic biomass appeared to be greater in Lake Tanganyika, where Limnothrissa is endemic, than in Lake Kariba, although there is little difference in their primary productivity, but consideration in terms of volume rather than area shows that this was not the
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.1988.tb05391.x
Permalink
