the saboga
Allosa fallax(Lacépède, 1803)
Order: Clupeiformes
Family:Clupeidae
Savelha
Saboga, sabola, zamborca
twaite shad
Species anadromous, pelagic y euryhaline. The saboga enters the Miño River a little later (from March) than the sábalo (alose alose), making a shorter trip to the breeding site. However, there is evidence of reproduction between tarpon and saboga, leading to hybrids. The overlapping breeding sites are thought to be related to habitat reduction caused by dam construction. Scientifically speaking, it is not yet fully understood that these are two distinct species.
In its upstream migration it does not feed. However, this may change upon their return to sea after breeding.
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The saboga is particularly appreciated by sport and recreational fishermen.
Morphology
Body elongated and compressed. It is visible on the upper part of the operculum una sequence of 4 to 8 dark spots, sometimes absent or slightly marked. It has a grayish color on the back and silver on the belly. The mandible reaches the posterior edge of the eye, which has a fatty membrane. It has no teeth on the vomer. The dorsal fin is short, with between 19 and 21 rays (4-6 hard, 12-16 soft). The anal fin is made up of 20 to 24 rays (3-4 hard, 16-22 soft), the pectoral fin by a hard ray and 13 to 16 soft, and the ventral fin by a ray_cc781905- 5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_hard and 8-9 soft. The spinal column is made up of a set of 55 to 59 vertebrae. The similar species in the Minho River is thetarpon (alose alose), and can be distinguished by the number of scales on the lateral line and by the number of gill spines. Saboga has fewer than 70 scales on LL and 40-60 gill spines that are short and smaller than the gill filaments.
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The common weight of specimens caught from the Minho River is about 1 kg, with a length of 35 cm to 45 cm, and can reach a maximum weight of 1.5 kg and a length of 60 cm.It can live up to 25 years.It feeds on zoobenthos.
Adulto
Adulto
Pesca a caña/cana Rio Miño/Minho
Adulto
biology
Species anadromous, pelagic y euryhaline.
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It enters the river in spring, does not go up as high as tarpon, and instead can reproduce several times. The eggs develop in the river bed. The juveniles, when they reach about 10 cm, migrate to the sea and grow feeding on planktonic crustaceans.
Distribution
Its available habitat in the hydrographic basin of the Miño river goes up to the A Frieira dam.
Conservation
native species.The population reduction was evident after the construction of the Minho River dams. Sensitive to declining water quality and habitat change.
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-Red Book of Vertebrates of Spain​: (V) Vulnerable
-Livro Vermelho dos Vertebrados de Portugal: (VU) Vulnerable
Fishing
Medium commercial importance.
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Fishing arts:
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In the estuary:tresmallo. Elaljerif, art vocation to the sábalo, also captured sabogas. It fell out of use when numbers dropped sharply at the end of the 1960s.
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In the Valença area it is common to catch it in sport fishing using the red lining of the electric cable as bait.