Fecundity of Northeast Atlantic spurdog (Squalus acanthias)

• Published in: ICES Journal of Marine Science
• Main Authors: Ellis, Jim R., Keable, Jennie
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press 2008
• Subjects: Short Communication; Northeast Atlantic; Squalus acanthias
• Online Access: http://icesjms.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/fsn080v1; https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsn080

<qd> Ellis, J. R., and Keable, J. 2008. Fecundity of Northeast Atlantic spurdog ( Squalus acanthias ). – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 65. </qd>A large catch of mature, female spurdog ( Squalus acanthias ) was made on 22 November 2005 in the Irish Sea. Examination of a subsample of 202 of these fish (82–117-cm total length, L ) indicated that 28% were carrying near-term pups, 70% year one pups, and 1% candles. Uterine fecundity ( F ) for those fish that were not considered to have aborted pups ( n = 179) ranged from 3 to 21 and increased with total length, where F = 0.428 L −31.87. The upper limits of these fecundity estimates are the highest recorded for spurdog in the Northeast Atlantic. These data are discussed in relation to previously published fecundity estimates and the possibility of a density-dependent increase in fecundity.