On the Fecundity of Pacific Cod ( Gadus macrocephalus Tilesius) from Hecate Strait, British Columbia

• Published in: Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada
• Main Author: Thomson, J. Arthur
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1962
• Subjects: General Medicine; Pacific; Hecate Strait; Kamchatka
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f62-028; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f62-028

Egg counts were made on 46 mature female cod. A log-log relationship was established between egg number and body length. It was shown that there is little difference in the number of eggs per unit body length, between cod from Hecate Strait and stocks from colder regions of the Pacific to the north and west. A comparison of the modal size of mature fish from Hecate Strait and West Kamchatka shows that the former mature at a much smaller size. Since egg number is related to size, it is concluded that the cod stocks of Hecate Strait have a much lower reproductive potential than do other populations in the North Pacific.