Portugal country information

Common names: Saboga, Saboga, Sável
Occurrence: native
Salinity: freshwater
Abundance: occasional (usually not seen) | Ref: Veiga, P., J. Ribeiro, J.M.S. Gonçalves and K. Erzini, 2010
Importance: highly commercial | Ref: Collares-Pereira, M.J., I.G. Cowx, F. Ribeiro, J.A. Rodrigues and L. Rogado, 2000
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments: Found in Tagus estuary (Ref. 51031) and Guadiana River basin (Ref. 43327). Recorded from the south and southwest coast (Ref. 85184). Also Ref. 188, 11237, 40280.
National Checklist: Portugal
Country Information: httpss://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/po.html
National Fisheries Authority:
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Collares-Pereira, M.J., I.G. Cowx, F. Ribeiro, J.A. Rodrigues and L. Rogado, 2000
National Database: Portuguese Freshwater Fishes

Classification / Names

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Clupeiformes (Herrings) > Clupeidae (Herrings, shads, sardines, menhadens) > Alosinae
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Common names from other countries

Сельдь-финта, Alose feinte, Saboga, ... more

Issue
5 subspecies known.

Main reference

Whitehead, P.J.P. 1985. (Ref. 188)
References | Biblio | Coordinator | Collaborators

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 60.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 35388); common length : 40.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2945); max. published weight: 1.5 kg (Ref. 188); max. reported age: 25 years (Ref. 556)

Length at first maturity
L_m 32.5 range ? - ? cm

Environment

Marine; freshwater; brackish; pelagic-neritic; anadromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 10 - 300 m (Ref. 10541)

Climate / Range

Temperate, preferred 16°C (Ref. 107945); 70°N - 27°N, 25°W - 42°E

Distribution

Northeast Atlantic: southern Iceland, British Isles and southern Norway to Morocco, including the Baltic, Mediterranean and Black Seas (Refs. 188, 26334, 51442). Several subspecies have been recognized based on the number of gill rakers and geographical location (Ref. 10541) and some have since been given species-status (Ref. 59043). Listed in Appendix III of the Bern Convention (2002). Listed in Annex II and V of the EC Habitats Directive (2007).
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 4 - 6; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12-16; Anal spines: 3-4; Anal soft rays: 16 - 22; Vertebrae: 49 - 59. Diagnosis: Body somewhat compressed, moderately deep with depth at pectoral fin less than head length, scutes apparent along belly (Ref. 188). Upper jaw notched, lower jaw fitting into it; no teeth on vomer; gillrakers fairly short and stout, total 30 to 80, longer than gill filaments (Ref. 188). A dark spot posterior to gill opening, followed by 7 or 8 similar spots along flank, but sometimes faint or absent (Ref. 188, 40476). Alosa fallax resembles Alosa alosa, which has more and longer gillrakers and at most only 3 dark spots on flank (Ref. 188).

Amphihaline species (Ref. 51442), schooling and strongly migratory (Ref. 188). Adults are usually found in open waters along the coast (Refs. 59043, 89486); juveniles are usually found along estuaries and near the shore (Ref. 59043), possibly making vertical diurnal movements synchronized with the tides; they remain in estuaries for over one year (Ref. 89630). Migrates to major rivers to spawn; also reported to spawn in small rivers. Several landlocked (lake) non-migratory populations exist (Ref. 10541). Ichthyophagous, feeds on small fishes and crustaceans, the young taking the fry of herrings, sprats and gobies (Ref. 188, Ref. 51442). Females grow faster and are always larger than males of the same age (Ref. 10541). Very locally distributed due to pollution and impoundment of large rivers throughout Europe and most populations declined during the first decade of the 20th century, but seem to have stabilized at a low level since then (Ref. 59043). It has been suggested that members of the genus Alosa are hearing specialists with the American shad (Alosa sapidissima) having been found to detect and respond to sounds up to at least 180 kHz (Ref. 89631). This may aid in predator avoidance (e.g. cetaceans) (Ref. 89632). Hybridization between this species and the allis shad (Alosa alosa) has been reported from the Rhine (Ref. 89633) as well as rivers in France and Algeria (Ref. 10541). There is some evidence that indicates that shad hybrids may reproduce (Ref. 27567).

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Least Concern (LC)

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial

More information

Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
Stocks
Ecology
Diet
Food items
Food consumption
Ration

Common names
Synonyms
Metabolism
Predators
Ecotoxicology
Reproduction
Maturity
Spawning
Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development

Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Length-frequencies
Morphometrics
Morphology
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Recruitment
Abundance

References
Aquaculture
Aquaculture profile
Strains
Genetics
Allele frequencies
Heritability
Diseases
Processing
Mass conversion

Collaborators
Pictures
Stamps, Coins
Sounds
Ciguatera
Speed
Swim. type
Gill area
Otoliths
Brains
Vision

Tools

Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Estimates of some properties based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805)
PD₅₀ = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278)
4.0 ±0.4 se; Based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 69278)
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.21-0.38; tm=2-7; tmax=25; Fec>10,000)

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)
Moderate to high vulnerability (50 of 100)

Price category (Ref. 80766)
Low

Alosa fallax (Lacepède, 1803)