Synopsis
The burbot population off the River Kyrönjoki has suffered from acidification in its reproduction area, causing a reduction of the population throughout the 1980s. During the same period of time the mean length-at-age of burbot was found to increase, with a significant increase in length-at-age for age groups 3–8 from 1979 to 1993. The length-weight relationship however was not found to have changed during this same period. The decreasing burbot population was found to influence the changed length-at-age. An increase in potential prey species population was also documented during this period of increasing length-at-age. The increased lengths were associated to the changed availability of food caused by the simultaneous fluctuations in both burbot and potential prey species populations.
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Kjellman, J., Hudd, R. Changed length-at-age of burbot, Lota lota, from an acidified estuary in the Gulf of Bothnia. Environ Biol Fish 45, 65–73 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00000628
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00000628