Spatial segregation within the spawning migration of North Eastern Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) as indicated by juvenile growth patterns.

• Published in: PLoS ONE
• Main Authors: Teunis Jansen, Andrew Campbell, Thomas Brunel, Lotte Worsøe Clausen
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2013
• Subjects: Medicine; R; Science; Q; North East Atlantic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0058114; https://doaj.org/article/40a20ab3f39441b8a3d2859e8ec5ee3a

A comparison of growth data (fish length) with latitude shows that southern juvenile mackerel attain a greater length than those originating from further north before growth ceases during their first winter. A similar significant relationship was found between the growth in the first year (derived from the otolith inner winter ring) and latitude for adult mackerel spawning between 44°N (Bay of Biscay) and 54°N (west of Ireland). These observations are consistent with spatial segregation of the spawning migration; the further north that the fish were hatched, the further north they will tend to spawn. No such relationship was found in mackerel spawning at more northerly latitudes, possibly as a consequence of increased spatial mixing in a more energetic regime with stronger currents. This study provides previously lacking support for spawning segregation behaviour among North East Atlantic mackerel--an important step towards understanding the migratory behaviour of mackerel and hence the spatiotemporal distribution dynamics around spawning time.