| dc.description.abstract | The fish fauna in the sublittoral habitat of Masfjorden, western Norway, has been studied
in order to reveal survival and growth prospects of released juvenile cod in a large-scale
stock enhancement experiment. Seasonal changes in abundance of dominating fish species
and in the diet of potential competitors and predators to juvenile cod were emphasized.
A total of 44 species from 17 families of Teleostei and 4 families of Chondrichthyes were
recorded at 5-20 m depth of the sublittoral of Masfjorden. Gadids were dominating
(50.2 % by numbers, 10 species) and saithe (Pollachius virens), pollack (P. pollachius),
poor-cod (Trisopterus minutus) and cod (Gadus morhua) were most numerous. Labrids
form a second dominating family (44.7 % by numbers, 5 species) of which Centrolabrus
exoletus, Ctenolabrus rupestris, Labrus bimaculatus and L. bergylta were the most abundant.
Pollack and saithe had highest abundance during summer and autumn. The labrids
and poor-cod had maximum abundance in summer. All labrids, pollack and saithe showed
minimum abundance in winter while poor-cod had lowest abundance in spring and highest
in summer. Dietary studies showed that gobies were one of the major preys for small
individuals of cod, pollack, saithe and poor-cod in the summer and autumn. Gadids and
labrids were important prey for large cod and pollack. | en |
