Document of bibliographic reference 107997

BibliographicReference record

Type

Bibliographic resource

Type of document

Journal article

BibLvlCode

AS

Title

Do bigger fish arrive and spawn at the spawning grounds before smaller fish: Cod (Gadus morhua) predation on beach spawning capelin (Mallotus villosus) from coastal Newfoundland

Abstract

A relationship between body size and time of spawning has often been described for both pelagic and non-pelagic fish species that migrate for the purpose of spawning. The present study investigates this relationship for capelin (Mallotus villosus), a pelagic smelt-like species that spawns on the beaches of Newfoundland. Simple linear regressions were carried out separately for three groups of capelin: ovid females, spent females and males in three successive years (1982-1984). Bigger fish arrived near the spawning grounds first, for all three groups in all three years and was most obvious for female capelin. Analyses of stomach contents of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), an important predator of capelin in the Newfoundland area, showed a similar decrease in mean size of capelin throughout the capelin spawning season in June, July and August. Furthermore, analyses strongly suggest that early in the spawning seasons, when capelin abundance was high, cod selected for bigger capelin, whereas towards the end of the spawning seasons, when capelin abundance was low, cod did not show any size preference.

WebOfScience code

https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:000244177300005

Bibliographic citation

Vandeperre, F.; Methven, D.A. (2007). Do bigger fish arrive and spawn at the spawning grounds before smaller fish: Cod (Gadus morhua) predation on beach spawning capelin (Mallotus villosus) from coastal Newfoundland. Est., Coast. and Shelf Sci. 71(3-4): 391-400. dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2006.07.020

Topic

Marine

Is peer reviewed

true