Mauritanian EEZ - Key Species
Sardine (Sardina pilchardus)
This species prefers moderately warm waters and is widely distributed on the western African coast. Three populations are found along the Mauritanian coast and are characterized by fluctuations in abundance and distribution in recent years. The Mauritanian sardinella stock underwent a spectacular expansion in abundance during the early 1970s to become the main species caught in the area, before abundance began decreasing in 1976. This earlier expansion was related to strong upwelling. In 1983, sardine abundance began to increase once again and currently, sardine is an important component of coastal pelagic resources in the Mauritanian Economic Exclusive Zone. Generally found offshore in areas with water depths of 100 meters or more, sardine eat plankton including phytoplankton.
Round sardinella (Sardinella aurita)
Round sardinella is widely spread along the African and Mediterranean coasts. It is present in the Mauritanian Exclusive Economic Zone all year round and found in waters deeper than 100 m, increasing in size as one moves offshore. The main nursery area is in depths of 30 m or more, in northern Timiris Cape. Adults migrate between Guinea-Bissau and the northern part of Mauritania. The round sardinella is planktivorous; juveniles eat phytoplankton and adults eat mainly zooplankton, i.e. Copepods and Euphausids. Round sardinella is a gregarious species, moving into the water column during the day and dispersing at night. Sardinella aurita is currently considered to be overexploited off Mauritania.
Punt sardinella (Sardinella maderensis)
This is a tropical species found from the Mediterranean Sea to Angola. In Mauritania, its habitat is more coastal than that of the round sardinella and it does not undertake long migrations The maximum size reached is 32cm. Punt sardinella are zooplanktivorous although studies have found that they avoid eating anchovy larva. Schooling with other fish of similar sizes, they are exploited less than round sardinella.
Anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus)
The anchovy is a pelagic fish often forming large schools and living in not very deep water. In Mauritania, anchovy appears in the cold period in particular in water of temperature ranging between 18°C and 20°C. Exploitable biomass of anchovy in the north is estimated at 20 000 tons. Anchovy undertake large migrations northwards and offshore and are zooplanktivorous, eating copepods and other small zooplankton.
Atlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus)
The Atlantic horse mackerel is abundant in the Mauritanian ecosystem during the cold season. It is distributed off the coast in waters over shelf depths of 300 meters and more, but prefers waters of 100 m depth. Large mature individuals arrive off Mauritania with the cooling of coastal water. The species shoals close to the bottom, dispersing at night and moving to the surface following rising plankton in surface layers. They eat mainly euphausiids and copepods.
African horse mackerel (Trachurus tracae)
Primarily west African and tropical, the black African mackerel is present all year round in Mauritanian waters, migrating with the inter-tropical convergence zone. The species distribution is rather coastal and it is most abundant in the south. Biomass is concentrated in waters of 100 m depth. This species is zooplanktivorous but becomes ichthyoplanktivorous at 24cm when its alimentary tract is especially designed for shrimps, squid and young Engraulidae.
Yellow mackerel (Decapterus rhonchus)
This is a west African, tropical species present off Mauritania all year round in the coastal and more southern regions. In the northern area, yellow mackerel are generally absent from January to June. The adults migrate along the coasts of Guinea and Mauritania in accordance with the seasonal shift of the inter-tropical convergence zone. The yellow mackerel eats mainly fish, squids and shrimps and it is considered to be moderately exploited.
Octopus (Octopus vulgaris)
The octopus is a common species on the Mauritanian continental shelf where it is found in two large concentrations over banks of less than 10 m and seldom in waters over 200 m in depth. This cephalopod species is benthic, highly intelligent and has strong vision. Octopus eat shellfish, fish and molluscs. Currently, octopus account for 80% of cephalopods catches off Mauritania and are considered to be over-exploited.
Squid (Loligo vulgaris)
This is the most frequently encountered species of squid in landings of the demersal trawlers. It is known for its coastal recruitment migrations. Sensitive areas for these squids are thought to be the Bay of Greyhound and the Arguin Bank. The quantities landed in 1988 were around 2% of total Mauritanian cephalopod landings, which are in fact declining.
Meagre (Argyrosomus regius)
Argyrosomus regius is found all along the coast of Mauritania in depths from 40 to 50 m, more rarely in the Arguin Bank Park in waters up to 100 m. The principal zones of abundance are in the Bay of the Greyhound, on the Arguin Bank and along the southern coast. Immature meagre consumes primarily fish; the smallest individuals also eat shrimps, whereas in mature adults, diet is composed of fish and cephalopods. In 1988, approximately 8% of the demersal fish catches were of Scianidae as a whole.
Black hake (Merluccius senegalensis)
Black hake is the most abundant of the hake species found off Mauritania. This fish is present on the continental slope to 800 m water depths but juveniles are also found on the continental shelf to 20 m depth. The largest concentrations of black hake are observed between 200 and 600 m with a maximum between 150 and 300 m. This species undergoes seasonal fluctuations in abundance; it is most abundant in the warm season, comprising 80% to 100% of hake catches in 1986.