Vertebral Averages of Juvenile Cod, Gadus morhua, from Coastal Waters of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador as Indicators of Stock Origin

W. H. Lear and R. Wells

Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Fisheries Research Branch
Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, P. O. Box 5667
St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada A1C 5X1

Source - Journal of Northwest Atlantic Fishery Science, Volume 5(1): 23-31
ISSN-0250-7408

Lear, W.H. and Wells, R. 1984. Vertebral Averages of Juvenile Cod, Gadus morhua, from Coastal Waters of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador as Indicators of Stock Origin. J. Northw. Atl. Fish. Sci. 5(1): 23-31. https://doi.org/10.2960/J.v5.a3

Abstract

Vertebral averages for juvenile Atlantic cod (age-groups 0,1 and 2), collected during 1956-70 in coastal waters of Labrador and
eastern Newfoundland, were used as indicators of stock origin. The averages were typically high (~54.8) for most of the samples and within the range reported for adult cod of the Labrador-East Newfoundland stock which spawns offshore on the continental shelf. The consistently lower averages for the 1960 and 1961 year-classes may have resulted from delayed spawning and/or more favorable temperature conditions after spawning in these years. Occasional vertebral averages lower than 54.8 for other year-classes, particularly in the southern part of the surveyed area, evidently indicate intermingling with juveniles of the southern cod stock which typically have lower vertebral counts. The vertebral averages for age-groups 0 and 1 cod of the 1959 to 1969 year-classes from Notre Dame Bay were inversely correlated with mean temperatures of the 0-100 m water layer at a station in the Labrador Current off eastern Newfoundland.

Language - English
Publisher - Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO), Dartmouth, N.S., Canada
Publication Date - January 1984
Publication Type - Journal Article
Descriptors - Atlantic cod, meristics, Newfoundland area, temperature

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