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Population variation in thermal growth responses of juvenile Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.)

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Abstract

Controlled environment experiments were carried out to investigate thermal influences and population differences on growth of wild-caught juvenile Atlantic cod Gadus morhua L. from two regions of differing thermal regime off Scotland; the Clyde Sea on the west coast and St Andrews Bay on the east coast. Cod from the Clyde demonstrated significantly higher growth rates than cod from St Andrews. In both populations the growth rate was greater at 12°C than at 8°C. These population and temperature effects act to reinforce one another and it could therefore be predicted that the growth differences between the two areas in the wild should be even more pronounced. The results are consistent with the suggestion that cod may be locally adapted to their thermal environment.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to I. Gibb, the crew of the Fisheries Research Vessel Clupea and Millport Marine Biological Station for collection of the fish, to B. Williamson, P. Gibson and M. Norris for technical assistance, husbandry and assistance in sampling of the fish, and to C. Millar for statistical advice. Financial support was given by a PhD studentship 2004 from the Fisheries Society of the British Isles. The work was carried out under a Scottish Executive contract MF0756. Experiments were authorised under a United Kingdom Home Office License.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Scotland, Marine Laboratory, P.O. Box 101, 375 Victoria Road, Aberdeen, AB11 9DB, UK

    Marion Harrald, Francis C. Neat, Peter J. Wright & Robert J. Fryer

  2. Division of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK

    Felicity A. Huntingford

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  1. Marion Harrald
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Correspondence to Marion Harrald.

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Harrald, M., Neat, F.C., Wright, P.J. et al. Population variation in thermal growth responses of juvenile Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.). Environ Biol Fish 87, 187–194 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-010-9586-0

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