Anchovy and common sardine co-occur in the same
reproductive and feeding habitat off central southern Chile
(33°00'–41°20'S), and have a similar reproductive strategy.
Egg-survey data from one survey carried out during the austral winter in
2005 were used to analyze the spawning spatial structure of anchovy
(Engraulis ringens) and common sardine (Strangomera bentincki) through geostatistical techniques and generalized
additive models. The spawning spatial structure of both species was
characterized by a spatial autocorrelation intensity varying similarly with
distance in all directions, ranging between 27.2 and 32.6 km for anchovy and
common sardine, respectively. In average, egg density of anchovy was higher
than egg density of common sardine, with the bulk of the spawning for both
species located in the southern sector of the study area
(38°S–40°S). In this sector, both species showed an overlapped
distribution, and egg densities were mainly associated to shallow and
coastal zones, suggesting that coastal shape and bottom depth are important
factors for the spawning of both species. In the south sector, the egg
density of both species was positively correlated, indicating that spatial
structure of the spawning is not explained by a different strategy of space
occupation among anchovy and common sardine.