Growth, temperature and density relationships of North Sea cod ( Gadus morhua )

This study presents an analysis of the relationship between ambient temperature, cod density, fishing mortality, prey fish biomass, and growth of North Sea cod (Gadus morhua) as estimated from survey catches during the period from 1983 to 2006. Growth of young cod was positively related to temperatu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
Main Authors: Rindorf, Anna, Jensen, Henrik, Schrum, Corinna
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2008
Subjects:
Online Access:https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/4b8aa0ed-267a-4802-a510-e1f979986fa2
https://doi.org/10.1139/F07-150
https://backend.orbit.dtu.dk/ws/files/134897301/Postprint.pdf
Description
Summary:This study presents an analysis of the relationship between ambient temperature, cod density, fishing mortality, prey fish biomass, and growth of North Sea cod (Gadus morhua) as estimated from survey catches during the period from 1983 to 2006. Growth of young cod was positively related to temperature; however, although temperature increased, distribution of 1-year-olds changed concurrently and no increase in length at age 1 occurred. Growth from age 1 to age 2 decreased as ambient biomass of sandeel and density of cod decreased, whereas growth of cod older than 2 years decreased with increasing density of cod and increased with increasing biomass of demersal fish prey. Though growth of juveniles was strongly positively correlated to ambient temperature, no indication of direct temperature limitation of growth of older North Sea cod was found.