The recent population expansion of boarfish,capros aper(linnaeus, 1758): interactions of climate, growth and recruitment

• Published in: Journal of Applied Ichthyology
• Main Authors: Coad, J. O., Hüssy, K., Farrell, E. D., Clarke, M. W.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Wiley-Blackwell 2014
• Subjects: eastern north-atlantic; long-term changes; cod gadus-morhua; c-helgolandicus; subpolar gyre; regime shift; sea; slope; temperatures; finmarchicus; Gadus morhua; North Atlantic; Northeast Atlantic
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10379/10816; https://doi.org/10.1111/jai.12412

The objectives of this study were to evaluate whether temperature changes in the Northeast Atlantic influence the growth and recruitment dynamics of boarfish, Capros aper. Two geographically separate areas were examined, north' at the northern distribution range west of Ireland and south' on the main fishing grounds south of Ireland. No significant differences in length-at-age were observed between the two areas. Interannual otolith growth patterns were similar between the two areas with distinct years of faster and slower growth. In the north', no significant relationship between adult growth and temperature was observed, while growth in the south' was positively related to temperature up to approximately 16 degrees C growth rates were suppressed in the years with temperatures above that. Recruitment showed a positive correlation with adult growth the previous year for the Spanish recruitment index only, suggesting spatial connectivity between the Celtic Sea and the Bay of Biscay. The age distributions were similar in both areas and despite the boarfish's longevity of >30years, are dominated by the age classes corresponding to the years with high recruitment, suggesting that increased recruitment is responsible for the observed stock expansion.