POPULATION STRUCTURE AND GROWTH PARAMETERS OF ALOSA IMMACULATA SPECIES, BENNETT, 1835 (PONTIC SHAD) ON THE DANUBE SECTOR KM 169 - KM 197 IN 2020

Maria Desimira Stroe, Mirela Crețu, G. Ion, D. Mirea, Viorica Savin, Magdalena Tenciu, N. Patriche

Abstract
    Pontic shad is one of the most important species for industrial fishing and one of the most appreciated fish given its organoleptic qualities, having a particularly fine meat taste and a high percentage of fat. The purpose of this paper is to assess the condition of Pontic shad flocks that arrived in the breeding areas in 2020. The morphometric characteristics, the sex ratio, the age and the growth parameters for the Pontic shad from the Smârdan - Gropeni area, Brăila county were studied. A number of 50 specimens of Pontic shad were examined during April-May 2020. The sex ratio in the analysed group was 56% females and 44% males. The smallest males were 2 years old, measured 26 cm and weighed 150 g, while the largest specimens were 3 years old with a total length of 33 cm and a weight of 275 g. The average length of the males was 30.214 ± 1.608 cm and the average weight was 215.952 ± 35.410 g. The smallest females measured 30 cm, weighed 220 g and were 2 years old and the largest specimens were 5 years old, they had 37 cm and 450 g. The average length of the female specimens was 33.357 ± 1.870 cm and the average mass was 328.571 ± 64.792 g. Analysing the population structure and the Fulton coefficient, we appreciate that in 2020, in the studied breeding areas, the Pontic shad flocks, in which females over 3 years of age predominated, had a good state of maintenance.