Spawning behaviour of Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua: evidence of mate competition and mate choice in a broadcast spawner

1999 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey A Hutchings ◽  
Todd D Bishop ◽  
Carolyn R McGregor-Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Dna Analysis ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Multiple Paternity ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Male Dominance ◽  
Male Body ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Spawning Period

We quantified individual differences in Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, reproductive behaviour at a field-reported spawning density under experimental conditions. Marked individuals (nine females, seven males) were observed twice daily and videotaped continuously for 9 weeks at ambient photoperiod and temperature in a large tank (60 m3). Agonistic interactions appeared to maintain a size-based dominance hierarchy among males. Multiple paternity per spawning bout, revealed by microsatellite DNA analysis, suggested a link between dominance and fertilization success. Interactions between sexes were dominated by the circling of females by males. Predicated by vertical separation from males, and after descending to the bottom, a motionless female would be circled up to 17 times, often by one male per circling bout but by several males throughout the spawning period. Although circling frequency increased with male dominance and male body size, initiation and termination of this behaviour appeared to be under female control. Circling provides opportunities for males to gain individual access to reproductive females and for females to assess the quality of potential mates. Our evidence for nonrandom mate choice and for male-male competition and display has implications for Atlantic cod mating systems and effects of fishing on their reproductive success.

Cod courtship song: a song at the expense of dance?

1999 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 542-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frode Engen ◽  
Ivar Folstad
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Courtship Song ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Individual Quality ◽  
Allocation Of Resources ◽  
Parasite Resistance ◽  
Sperm Density ◽  
Tentative Explanation

Sexually selected characters may reveal information about individual quality during mate choice. Fin display and sound emitted with the aid of specific drumming muscles are characters described as being of importance in the reproductive behaviour of cod (Gadus morhua L.). We examined whether the mass of drumming muscles or fin size was sexually dimorphic, and whether these characters could provide information about male cod that was potentially of benefit to mate-seeking females. The mass of drumming muscles, but not fin size, was sexually dimorphic, with males having larger muscles than females. Neither the mass of drumming muscles nor fin size apparently revealed information about traits that may be associated with parasite resistance in males (i.e., parasite intensities and leukocyte densities). However, variation in fertilization potential (i.e., spermatocrit level) among males was related to both mass of drumming muscles and fin size. Thus, by evaluating sound and fin size, mate-seeking females may obtain information about fertilization ability among males. This may be of particular importance for females in a species whose eggs commonly remain unfertilized. Furthermore, males with large drumming muscles and small fins had low spermatocrit levels. This may reflect reductions in sperm density resulting from frequent ejaculations by attractive males. A costly allocation of resources for the development of drumming muscles at the expense of fin muscles used for propulsion is presented as a tentative explanation as to why females should pay attention to these particular traits during courtship. Increased investment in "song" may thus appear at the expense of "dance."

scholarly journals Differences in spawning time of captive Atlantic cod from four regions of Norway, kept under identical conditions

2006 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 216-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Håkon Otterå ◽  
Ann-Lisbeth Agnalt ◽  
Knut E. Jørstad
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Genetic Control ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Spawning Period ◽  
Life History Parameters ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Spawning Time ◽  
The Difference

Abstract Several hundred Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) were collected from selected spawning grounds along the Norwegian coast in March 2002. Four areas or regions that represent a wide range of environmental conditions were chosen for our breeding experiments: Porsangerfjord, Tysfjord, Helgeland, and Øygarden. Cod were transported to Øygarden near Bergen, individually tagged, and kept in sea cages. In both 2003 and 2004, a total of 40 family groups (adult pairs) representing the four regions were monitored for their spawning performance in separate tanks. During the spawning period, the quantity and diameter of eggs were recorded. During 2003, the time of peak spawning differed among groups. It was evident that the broodstock from the Øygarden region spawned about one month earlier than the broodstock collected from the Helgeland region. This also occurred in 2004, two years after the cod were collected, suggesting that the difference has a genetic component. Differences in life history parameters between cod populations, such as spawning cycles as described here, could be adaptive and under genetic control. This must be taken into consideration when assessing precautionary means of overcoming the problem with escapees from future cod mariculture.

scholarly journals Vertical dynamics and reproductive behaviour of farmed and wild Atlantic cod Gadus morhua

2009 ◽  
Vol 389 ◽  
pp. 233-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
JJ Meager ◽  
JE Skjæraasen ◽  
A Fernö ◽  
Ø Karlsen ◽  
S Løkkeborg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour

Sperm competition and fertilization success in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua): effect of sire size and condition factor on gamete quality

1999 ◽  
Vol 56 (12) ◽  
pp. 2315-2323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Rakitin ◽  
Moira M Ferguson ◽  
Edward A Trippel
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Sperm Competition ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Condition Factor ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Sperm Quality ◽  
Fertilization Success ◽  
Male Body ◽  
Single Female ◽  
Male Condition

Sperm competition experiments were conducted to test the null hypothesis that sperm quality is not affected by male body size in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Genetic markers (allozymes) were used to determine the proportion of larvae sired by pairs of males when their sperm was combined with eggs of a single female simultaneously. Significant differences in fertilization success between males were not explained by differences in body size. Fertilization success was positively associated with male condition factor (K) and with spermatozoa density in each male's semen when equal volumes of semen from each male were used. Male K was positively associated with male fertilization success when the volume of semen used from each male was adjusted to add approximately equal numbers of spermatozoa from each male. The relative fertilization success of males varied depending on which female was the egg donor, suggesting that female "choice" at the gamete level may be occurring in cod.

scholarly journals DNA Analysis Detects Different Mislabeling Trend by Country in European Cod Fillets

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1515
Author(s):  
Frederik Feldmann ◽  
Alba Ardura ◽  
Carmen Blanco-Fernandez ◽  
Eva Garcia-Vazquez
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Dna Barcoding ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Dna Analysis ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
The Other ◽  
The World ◽  
European Regulations ◽  
The One ◽  
European Markets

Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, is a highly appreciated fish in European seafood markets and is one of the most substituted fish species in the world. Fraud have been detected in European markets in the last decade, finding different substitute species sold as G. morhua or Atlantic cod on the label. In this study, we analyzed 252 samples of fresh and frozen cod fillets sold in Germany, the Netherlands, and France using DNA barcoding. Different trends were found in different countries: while the level of mislabeling found in Germany and the Netherlands remained at zero in the last years, a significant increase was found in the French markets comparing the current results with previous studies on fillets in France. On the one hand, this mislabeling proves the need to encourage European efforts to control seafood authenticity; on the other, zero mislabeling in two countries shows the success of current European regulations.

Fecundity, Atresia, and Egg Size of Captive Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua) in Relation to Proximate Body Composition

1991 ◽  
Vol 48 (12) ◽  
pp. 2333-2343 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. S. Kjesbu ◽  
J. Klungsøyr ◽  
H. Kryvi ◽  
P. R. Witthames ◽  
M. Greer Walker
Keyword(s):  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
White Muscle ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Oocyte Diameter ◽  
Potential Fecundity ◽  
Spawning Period ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Egg Diameter ◽  
High Condition

Captive Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) were fed at four ration levels (starvation, maintenance, moderate, and excess) for periods of 6–9 mo prior to and during spawning. At the end of the experiment, water, protein, glycogen, and fat contents of the liver, white muscle, and ovary were estimated. The depletion of the white muscle and liver was related to oocyte maturation and in particular to the proportion of eggs spawned (PES). The influx of protein into the ovary, the mean hydrated egg diameter, and the egg dry weight all reached maximum values at 10% PES and subsequently declined. Mean vitellogenic oocyte diameter was small prior to spawning but rose to a maximum at PES = 10%. Cod with high condition factors produced more previtellogenic oocytes and used a larger fraction during vitellogenesis. Actual fecundity of specimens deprived of food during the spawning period was between 20 and 80% of the potential fecundity depending on the nutritional status of the fish. Intensity of atresia in moderate ration fish increased from 0% at PES = 0% to 33% at PES = 80%. Estimates of durations of α-atretic vitellogenic oocytes varied between 10 and 13 d at 8 °C assuming a spawning period of 50 d.

Microsatellite analysis reveals that female mice are indiscriminate when choosing infected or dominant males in an arena setting

Parasitology ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 129 (6) ◽  
pp. 723-731 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. D. EHMAN ◽  
M. E. SCOTT
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Dna Analysis ◽  
Female Mate Choice ◽  
Microsatellite Analysis ◽  
Male Dominance ◽  
Dominant Male ◽  
Phenotypic Traits ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Dominance Status ◽  
Female Mate

Considering that both infection and dominance status can be conveyed through urinary odours and both are thought to affect mate choice, the present study assessed the role of infection and male dominance status on female mate choice in arena enclosures. Three male CD-1 mice were simultaneously introduced into each of 4 spatially complex arenas (3·0×0·6×0·4 m high) for 24 h prior to introduction of 5 females into each arena. During the first mating sequence (i.e. Mating 1), all 3 males were uninfected. Prior to Mating 2, the dominant male in each arena was infected with 200 L3 of Heligmosomoides polygyrus (Nematoda). Prior to Mating 3, the dominant male was drug-treated to remove the parasite. Dominance was assessed by the absence of rump or tail wounds (Freeland, 1981). Females were removed from the arena when visibly pregnant, and returned for subsequent mating 2 weeks following parturition. Paternity was determined by microsatellite analysis of each pup. Multi-male mating (i.e. mating with 2 or all 3 males) was a common strategy among females as littermates were sired by 2 or all 3 males in 64% of the litters. Contrary to expectation, the dominant male did not sire the majority of offspring in any of the mating sequences, and infection and subsequent drug treatment of the dominant male did not have a significant impact on female mate choice. In addition to methodological differences in paternity determination (i.e. DNA analysis versus behavioural observations and/or phenotypic traits), these findings may be further explained by the spatial complexity of the experimental arenas.

scholarly journals Physiology and behaviour of free-swimming Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) facing fluctuating salinity and oxygenation conditions

1995 ◽  
Vol 198 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Claireaux ◽  
D Webber ◽  
S Kerr ◽  
R Boutilier
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Oxygen Consumption ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Heart Beat ◽  
Maximum Speed ◽  
Low Oxygen ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Low Salinity ◽  
The Relationship

1. Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) acclimated to a temperature of 5 °C and 30 salinity were equipped with ultrasonic transmitters which allowed continuous monitoring of their heart rate and their position in the water column. Fish were placed in a 125 m3 tower tank which permitted various environmentally relevant modifications of the salinity and oxygenation conditions. Cod physiological and behavioural responses were followed in parallel to the environmental manipulations. Some of the experimental conditions studied in the tower tank were also reproduced in a swimming respirometer where fish oxygen consumption and heart rate were monitored at various levels of activity. 2. Lowering salinity from 30 to 26 did not change resting oxygen consumption, but increased active oxygen consumption. 3. Lowering salinity from 30 to 26 increased heart rate over the whole range of swimming speeds except at maximum speed. 4. Lowering oxygen tension to 9 kPa decreased oxygen consumption over the whole range of swimming speeds and decreased resting heart rate. 5. Low salinity did not significantly affect the relationship between heart rate and oxygen consumption. 6. Low oxygen levels decreased the oxygen transported per heart beat. 7. In the tower tank, bursts of activity were associated with tachycardias. 8. In uniform conditions, fish swam more deeply during the day than at night. 9. After an exploratory period of approximately 6 h, fish chose to remain in a low-salinity upper layer of the tank. Thereafter, high salinities were avoided. Fish tended to select low salinities if a choice was provided. 10. Fish generally avoided zones of low oxygen (<9 kPa) but continued voluntarily to enter regions with values as low as 3.0 kPa for short excursions or if food was offered.

Enhancing the reproductive potential of local populations of coastal Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)

2002 ◽  
Vol 59 (10) ◽  
pp. 1685-1695 ◽  
Author(s):  
J S Wroblewski ◽  
H W Hiscock
Keyword(s):  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Egg Quality ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Reproductive Potential ◽  
Pseudopleuronectes Americanus ◽  
Farmed Fish ◽  
Potential Fecundity ◽  
Spawning Period ◽  
Natural Diet

We investigate the feasibility of enhancing the reproductive potential of northern Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) populations resident in Newfoundland and Labrador bays by "catch, grow out, and release". This entails trapping juvenile and young adult fish from the local population, increasing their growth, maturation rate, and potential fecundity by feeding them a natural diet in net pens, and then returning the fish to their natal bay habitat to spawn. To determine whether multiyear farming affects spawning success, we determined the spawning period and egg quality of cod held in captivity for three growth seasons. Farmed cod spawned in a net pen concurrently with wild cod in Trinity Bay during 1995 and produced fertilized eggs from which viable larvae hatched. Sonic tracking showed that cod farmed for 3 years and then released reintegrated with wild cod aggregations over known spawning grounds. Recaptures of tagged fish several years after release suggest that farmed fish remained in the bay as members of the resident population. Fishing mortality (bycatch in coastal fisheries for lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) and winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus)) of released farmed cod was not negligible, emphasizing that any enhancement effort must be carried out under a complete fishing moratorium.

scholarly journals A decade of monitoring Atlantic cod Gadus morhua spawning aggregations in Massachusetts Bay using passive acoustics

2020 ◽  
Vol 635 ◽  
pp. 89-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
PE Caiger ◽  
MJ Dean ◽  
AI DeAngelis ◽  
LT Hatch ◽  
AN Rice ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fish Species ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Acoustic Monitoring ◽  
Massachusetts Bay ◽  
Passive Acoustic Monitoring ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Spawning Period ◽  
Spawning Aggregations ◽  
Passive Acoustic

Atlantic cod Gadus morhua populations in the northeast USA have failed to recover since major declines in the 1970s and 1990s. To rebuild these stocks, managers need reliable information on spawning dynamics in order to design and implement control measures; discovering cost-effective and non-invasive monitoring techniques is also favorable. Atlantic cod form dense, site-fidelic spawning aggregations during which they vocalize, permitting acoustic detection of their presence at such times. The objective of this study was to detect spawning activity of Atlantic cod using multiple fixed-station passive acoustic recorders to sample across Massachusetts Bay during the winter spawning period. A generalized linear modeling approach was used to investigate spatio-temporal trends of cod vocalizing over 10 consecutive winter spawning seasons (2007-2016), the longest such timeline of any passive acoustic monitoring of a fish species. The vocal activity of Atlantic cod was associated with diel, lunar, and seasonal cycles, with a higher probability of occurrence at night, during the full moon, and near the end of November. Following 2009 and 2010, there was a general decline in acoustic activity. Furthermore, the northwest corner of Stellwagen Bank was identified as an important spawning location. This project demonstrated the utility of passive acoustic monitoring in determining the presence of an acoustically active fish species, and provides valuable data for informing the management of this commercially, culturally, and ecologically important species.

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