Influenza del sesso sulle caratteristiche ponderali e chimiche di sardine

An investigation was carried out to evaluate the influence of sex on the weight and chemical characteristics of sardines (Sardina pilchardus W.) fished in the lower Adriatic, also utilising linear regression analyses. The total weight, the eviscerated weight, the edible part weight, the percentage yields in edible part and in eviscerated weight as well as the chemical composition were evaluated. The findings obtained were statistically processed and showed that female sardines were heavier than the males, while percentage yield in eviscerated weight, compared to the total weight of the sardines, appeared to be significantly higher (P<0.001) in the males owing to a greater incidence of visceral weight in females. Percentage yield in edible parts was generally higher in males, too. Fat content, comparable to that reported in the literature for sardines fished in the same period, was rather low in both genders. Higher values of protein content were generally registered in males.