A comparative study of the feeding habits of herring (clupea harengus, clupeidae, 1.) and capelin (mallotus villosus, osmeridae, müller) in the barents sea

Predation has been suggested as a cause of substantial mortality of fish larvae to the degree that it might influence recruitment. This field-based study concludes that juvenile herring ( Clupea harengus ) as small pelagic predator can significantly affect mortality rates of the planktonic larvae of capelin ( Mallotus villosus ) in the Barents Sea. Surveys were carried out in the summers of 2001 and 2003. In 2001, juvenile herring were widely distributed and overlapped with capelin larvae over a wide area, whereas in 2003, the herring were more aggregated. The study focused on predation in the areas of predator–prey overlap. Capelin larvae were observed in the herring stomachs at 11 of 24 stations and at 8 of 16 stations where herring were caught in 2001 and 2003, respectively. At those stations, an estimated 7.3% and 9.9% of the capelin larvae were eaten by herring per day in 2001 and 2003, respectively. Statistical models revealed that density of capelin larvae and copepods and occurrence of euphausiids in the stomachs affected the number of capelin larvae per predator stomach. A simplified model with only capelin larvae density as predictor was converted to a functional response relationship using an experimentally derived digestion rate estimate for capelin larvae in herring stomachs.

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Diet of 0-group stages of capelin (Mallotus villosus), herring (Clupea harengus) and cod (Gadus morhua) during spring and summer in the Barents Sea

Marine Biology ◽

10.1007/s00227-007-0875-x ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 153 (6) ◽

pp. 1037-1046 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Torstein Pedersen ◽

Maria Fossheim

Keyword(s):

Gadus Morhua ◽

Barents Sea ◽

Clupea Harengus ◽

Mallotus Villosus ◽

The Barents Sea ◽

Capelin Mallotus Villosus

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Trophic interactions affecting a key ecosystem component: a multistage analysis of the recruitment of the Barents Sea capelin (Mallotus villosus)

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f10-064 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 67 (9) ◽

pp. 1363-1375 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Dag Øystein Hjermann ◽

Bjarte Bogstad ◽

Gjert Endre Dingsør ◽

Harald Gjøsæter ◽

Geir Ottersen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Trophic Interactions ◽

Gadus Morhua ◽

Barents Sea ◽

Clupea Harengus ◽

Mallotus Villosus ◽

The Barents Sea ◽

Key Species ◽

Capelin Mallotus Villosus ◽

Ecosystem Component ◽

Recruitment Stages

The Barents Sea stock of capelin ( Mallotus villosus ) has suffered three major collapses (>90% reduction) since 1985 due to recruitment failures. As capelin is a key species in the area, these population collapses have had major ecosystem consequences. By analysing data on spawner biomass and three recruitment stages (larvae, 0-group, and 1-year-olds), we suggest that much of the recruitment failures are caused by predation from herring ( Clupea harengus ) and 0-group and adult Northeast Arctic cod ( Gadus morhua ). Recruitment is furthermore positively correlated with sea temperatures in winter and spring. Harvesting of maturing capelin on their way to the spawning grounds reduced the abundance of larvae significantly, but this reduction to a large extent is compensated for later in life, as mortality is strongly density-dependent between the larval stage and age 1. Altogether, our study indicates a very high importance of trophic interactions, consistent with similar findings in other high-latitude marine ecosystems.

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