Observations on the occurrence, size, and feeding of pelagic larvae of the common wolffish (Anarhichas lupus) in western Finnmark, northern Norway

Common wolffish larvae were caught during ichthyoplankton surveys in western Finnmark, northern Norway, in March, May, and July 1987. The surveys, by horizontal hauls with various trawling gear, covered depths from 5 to 150 m, and yielded a total of nearly 6000 larvae and juveniles, ranging in size...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:ICES Journal of Marine Science
Main Authors: Falk-Petersen, I.-B., Haug, T., Moksness, E.
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: Oxford University Press 1990
Subjects:
Online Access:http://icesjms.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/46/2/148
https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/46.2.148
Description
Summary:Common wolffish larvae were caught during ichthyoplankton surveys in western Finnmark, northern Norway, in March, May, and July 1987. The surveys, by horizontal hauls with various trawling gear, covered depths from 5 to 150 m, and yielded a total of nearly 6000 larvae and juveniles, ranging in size from 20 mm (first-feeding stage) to 40 mm in total length. The spawning and hatching periods of the common wolffish were estimated to be in September 1986 and the first half of April 1987, respectively. A specific growth rate of 3.5%/day was calculated for the larvae in the period from May to August 1987. The stomach contents of 250 common wolffish larvae were examined. The contents consisted of various crustaceans (1–3 mm) and fish larvae (6–10 mm). Amphipods (57.3 %) and decapod larvae (15.4 %) were dominant.