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Distribution and diet of 0-group cod (Gadus morhua) and haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) in the Barents Sea in relation to food availability and temperature

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Abstract

Distribution of 0-group cod (Gadus morhua) and haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) in August–September 2005 and 2006 was mainly restricted to the Atlantic waters of the western and central areas of the Barents Sea. The main distribution of 0-group fish overlapped largely with areas of high biomass (>7 gm−2 dry weight) of zooplankton. The copepod Calanus finmarchicus and krill Thysanoessa inermis, which are dominant zooplankton species in both Atlantic and boreal waters of the Barents Sea, were the main prey of 0-group cod and haddock. The main distribution, feeding areas and prey of 0-group cod and haddock overlapped, implying that competition for food may occur between the two species. However, though their diet coincided to a certain degree, haddock seems to prefer smaller and less mobile prey, such as Limacina and appendicularians. As 0-group fish increased in size, there seems to be a shift in diet, from small copepods and towards larger prey such as krill and fish. Overall, a largely pelagic feeding behaviour of 0-group cod and haddock was evident from this study.

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Acknowledgments

This project was part of the research programme “Ecosystem Barents Sea” at the Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway. We thank Harry Williams, Haakon Hop, Fran Mowbray and one anonymous referee for constructive comments on a previous version of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Marine Research, P.O. Box 1870, Nordnes, 5817, Bergen, Norway

    Padmini Dalpadado, Bjarte Bogstad, Elena Eriksen & Laura Rey

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  1. Padmini Dalpadado
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  2. Bjarte Bogstad
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  3. Elena Eriksen
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  4. Laura Rey
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Correspondence to Padmini Dalpadado.

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Dalpadado, P., Bogstad, B., Eriksen, E. et al. Distribution and diet of 0-group cod (Gadus morhua) and haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) in the Barents Sea in relation to food availability and temperature. Polar Biol 32, 1583–1596 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-009-0657-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-009-0657-7

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