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Résumé :
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In the Atlantic Ocean, small pelagic fish occasionally execute long distance migrations before they become adults. However, in the Mediterranean Sea, the populations of the most common small pelagic fish, anchovy and sardine, seem to be generally more confined to relatively small areas. Particularly in the NW Mediterranean, local environmental conditions, such as mesoscale events, wind forcing or river run-offs, can contribute to shaping the dispersal patterns of fishes, especially in their early life stages. Intrinsic factors such as dietary preferences, swimming abilities or feeding behavior can also play an essential role in the distribution of the populations in the region. Some studies have been done in the NW Mediterranean in order to elucidate which factors are playing the main roles in the dispersal and in the ecology of anchovy and sardine larvae and juveniles. Nevertheless, a holistic evaluation of all the potential attributes conditioning the distribution of early life history anchovy and sardine is lacking. It is therefore necessary to clearly highlight the most determinant biological and environmental features for the dispersion of the early life stages of anchovy and sardine in the NW Mediterranean. This review of the state-of-the-art in the distribution and the trophic ecology of the larvae and juveniles of these populations, pointing out the main methods utilized, will also help to identify some of the major gaps of knowledge and discrepancies that might conduce to future research.
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