A generalised Dynamic Energy Budget model including 3D shape changes for modelling fish growth: Application to the European anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus
Abstract
Understanding the growth patterns of pelagic fish from early life stages to adulthood is crucial for predicting larval survival and predator–prey dynamics. Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) models are valuable tools for predicting these patterns in dynamic environments. Traditionally, DEB models assume either isomorphic growth or a metabolic acceleration phase between initial feeding and metamorphosis, formalised through the V1-morphic assumption, an approach that captures the broad pattern of accelerated early growth but does not explicitly link metabolic rates to the underlying changes in body geometry and their consequences on structural surface-to-volume ratios. We propose an alternative DEB-based growth model that captures deviations from pure isomorphy mechanistically by representing the fish’s structural body as a 3D ellipsoid and allocating volumetric growth to length, height, and width differentially, based on the distance between the current shape and a stage-dependent characteristic attractor. The resulting changes in structural surface-to-volume ratios provide a mechanistic explanation for the metabolic acceleration phenomenon observed during early life stages, explicitly linking body geometry to metabolic rates rather than relying on the V1-morphic assumption alone. Model parameters for the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) were estimated using growth, shape, reproduction, and temperature data spanning all life stages, from two contrasting environments (Bay of Biscay and South African waters). The calibrated model accurately reproduces observed deviations from isomorphy, and reproduces early larval growth more closely than the von Bertalanffy and abj-DEB parameterisations available for this species, which were estimated without these data. This accelerated early growth, emerging mechanistically from shape-transition dynamics, has the potential to significantly improve our understanding of larval survival, predator–prey dynamics, and ecosystem functioning.
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BibTeX
@article{cubber2026generalised,
title = {{A generalised Dynamic Energy Budget model including 3D shape changes for modelling fish growth: Application to the European anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus}},
author = {Lola de Cubber and Matthew Horton and Grea Groenewald and Laure Pecquerie and Martin Huret and Carl van der Lingen and Olivier Maury},
journal = {Ecological Modelling},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2026.111827},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05747662v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A generalised Dynamic Energy Budget model including 3D shape changes for modelling fish growth: Application to the European anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus
AU - Lola de Cubber
AU - Matthew Horton
AU - Grea Groenewald
AU - Laure Pecquerie
AU - Martin Huret
AU - Carl van der Lingen
AU - Olivier Maury
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/18
JO - Ecological Modelling
DO - 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2026.111827
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05747662v1
AB - Understanding the growth patterns of pelagic fish from early life stages to adulthood is crucial for predicting larval survival and predator–prey dynamics. Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) models are valuable tools for predicting these patterns in dynamic environments. Traditionally, DEB models assume either isomorphic growth or a metabolic acceleration phase between initial feeding and metamorphosis, formalised through the V1-morphic assumption, an approach that captures the broad pattern of accelerated early growth but does not explicitly link metabolic rates to the underlying changes in body geometry and their consequences on structural surface-to-volume ratios. We propose an alternative DEB-based growth model that captures deviations from pure isomorphy mechanistically by representing the fish’s structural body as a 3D ellipsoid and allocating volumetric growth to length, height, and width differentially, based on the distance between the current shape and a stage-dependent characteristic attractor. The resulting changes in structural surface-to-volume ratios provide a mechanistic explanation for the metabolic acceleration phenomenon observed during early life stages, explicitly linking body geometry to metabolic rates rather than relying on the V1-morphic assumption alone. Model parameters for the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) were estimated using growth, shape, reproduction, and temperature data spanning all life stages, from two contrasting environments (Bay of Biscay and South African waters). The calibrated model accurately reproduces observed deviations from isomorphy, and reproduces early larval growth more closely than the von Bertalanffy and abj-DEB parameterisations available for this species, which were estimated without these data. This accelerated early growth, emerging mechanistically from shape-transition dynamics, has the potential to significantly improve our understanding of larval survival, predator–prey dynamics, and ecosystem functioning.
SN - 0304-3800
SN - 1872-7026
ER -