STARVATION PERCENTAGES IN-FIELD CAUGHT SARDINA-PILCHARDUS LARVAE OFF SOUTHERN PORTUGAL

Starvation has been proposed as a major event only in small larvae tha t are learning to feed on planktonic prey. However, there are few comp arisons of percentages of starving larvae either among locations, time s or phases of larval development. The percentage of starvation of Sar dina pilchardus larvae of different lengths was analysed in four disti nct areas off southern Portugal. A highly sensitive fluorometric metho d for RNA/DNA quantification was applied to field caught S. pilchardus larvae during April and May 1992. Using in situ determination of crit ical RNA/DNA ratio (1.3), we classified as starving only a small perce ntage (2.22%) of first-feeding (<8 mm) sardine larvae, but bigger larv ae appeared to be more vulnerable to starvation. We concluded that sar dine larvae analysed were generally in good condition (total percentag e of starving larvae -4.64%), but with some variation within each regi on.