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Capelin (Mallotus villosus) fecundity in post-1990s coastal Newfoundland

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Abstract

In the 1990s, a cold water event was associated with drastic changes in the biology of Newfoundland capelin (Mallotus villosus), the key forage fish in the north Atlantic. In contrast to studies conducted prior to the 1990s, we report a lower maximum potential fecundity (7,616–42,880) and a weak relationship between fecundity and body size based on fecundity of 218 female capelin (12.3–16.9 cm) collected within two coastal regions of Newfoundland in 2008 and 2009. Further, using forward stepwise multiple regression and hierarchical partitioning, we conclude that life history traits (mass, somatic mass and egg size) and condition indices (Fulton’s K, Hepatosomatic Index and Gonadosomatic Index) are not appropriate proxies for fecundity of capelin in our study area. Hierarchical partitioning revealed that egg size and condition indices suppress the variance in fecundity explained by other factors. Based on the insight it provides into the influence of traits on fecundity, we suggest that hierarchical partitioning is a powerful analysis technique that could be used in further investigations.

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Acknowledgments

We thank M. Clarke and L. Boudreau for their assistance and dedication in the field and E. Maxner for assistance in the laboratory. We thank B. Nakashima, J. Wheeler, B. Slaney and F. Dawson from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (St. John’s, NL) for their assistance with sample collection in Trinity Bay, as well as Larry Easton and the crew of the Lady Easton II for sample collection in Notre Dame Bay. Principal funding was provided by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery and Ship Time grants to GKD.

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada

    Paulette M. Penton & Gail K. Davoren

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  1. Paulette M. Penton
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  2. Gail K. Davoren
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Correspondence to Paulette M. Penton.

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Communicated by C. Harrod.

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Penton, P.M., Davoren, G.K. Capelin (Mallotus villosus) fecundity in post-1990s coastal Newfoundland. Mar Biol 160, 1625–1632 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-013-2215-7

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