Diel Variations in Demersal Fish Assemblages, Strait of Sicily 2017

A trawl survey dataset examining day-night variations in demersal fish catches on the shelf-break off southwestern Sicily. The data was collected over six days in September 2017, with seven hauls performed daily between full daylight and complete darkness. The dataset, authored by Giacomo Sardo, characterizes diurnal and nocturnal assemblages and includes catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) data for commercial species.

Use Cases

• Modeling diel patterns in commercial species CPUE based on the described variations for Parapenaeus longirostris and Trachurus trachurus.
• Analyzing community structure differences between day and night assemblages based on described metrics like species richness, dominance, and diversity.
• Informing fisheries management policies based on the described diel variations to minimize unwanted catch.

Strengths

• Data collection is temporally focused, covering a six-day survey in September 2017 with seven hauls per day.
• Analysis includes statistical methods (ANOSIM and PERMANOVA) to identify distinct diurnal and nocturnal assemblages.
• Includes specific CPUE values and diel patterns for key commercial species mentioned in the description.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The dataset is very small (19.4 KB), indicating limited scope and likely a summary or processed table rather than raw catch data.

Provenance

Source

figshare, author Giacomo Sardo.

Collection Method

Data gathered via a six-day trawl survey on the shelf-break (125–155 m depth).

Time Range

September 2017.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-29 04:45:21; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Strait of Sicily, central Mediterranean Sea, off the southwestern coast of Sicily.