A study by the University of Haifa reveals that the distinct difference in the length of adult fish of this species lies in the differences between the availability of food in the eastern basin of the Mediterranean Sea and the western basin
The Israeli descent in height does not stop at the basketball courts. A new joint study by the Leon Recanti Institute of Marine Studies at the University of Haifa, the Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and an Italian research institute found that the red pollock fish in Israel are significantly shorter than the fish found off the coast of Italy: the differences in mature fish reach about five centimeters.
In a study conducted by Prof. Ehud Shafner and Oren Sonin from the Institute of Marine Studies at the University of Haifa, the researchers wanted to check if there are significant differences between fish of the same species in the eastern basin of the Mediterranean Sea compared to its western basin. The researchers chose the red mussel due to its wide distribution in these basins. In this study, 329 fish off the coast of Sicily and 108 fish that swam off the coast of Israel were examined.
The findings show that the adult Italian molit fish are on average about five cm longer than the Israeli molit fish: the length of an average adult Israeli male molit is 146.3 mm and the length of the Israeli female is 176 mm. In contrast, the Italian mole has an average length of 195 mm, while the length of the average female is 218 mm.
If we stick to the sports analogy, we are also better at the Molly at a young age. Just as our young teams stand up well against their young European opponents but collapse in the adult stage, the young Israeli mollies are also longer than the Europeans: in the initial growth stage of the fish, the Israeli ones are actually longer by five cm.
Why is this advantage disappearing over the years? The researchers' explanation lies in the differences in the sources of nutrition: in the eastern basin of the Mediterranean there are sharp fluctuations in the amount of food available, while in the western basin the food is more uniform. In this situation where there is sometimes a lack of food, the Israeli fish are forced to develop quickly and reach the age of maturity where they can reproduce and they compensate for this in terms of their length. The Italian fish take their time and mature at a slower rate, which allows them to grow an additional five cm.
"As in life, so in life - the Europeans know how to enjoy a good life and arranged meal breaks, while the Israelis live under constant pressure and grab occasional meals, whenever possible. Not only the Italians, but also the fish of Italy probably learned to make the most of the best in life and turned this feature into a way of life," Sonin said.
