Capelin
Capelin | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Osmeriformes |
Family: | Osmeridae |
Genus: | Mallotus G. Cuvier, 1829 |
Species: | M. villosus
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Binomial name | |
Mallotus villosus (O. F. Müller, 1776)
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The capelin or caplin (Mallotus villosus) is a small
Capelin migration
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/Puffin_with_capelin.jpg/250px-Puffin_with_capelin.jpg)
Capelin populations in the Barents Sea and around Iceland perform extensive seasonal migrations. Barents Sea capelin migrate during winter and early spring to the coast of northern Norway (Finnmark) and the Kola Peninsula (Russia) for spawning. During summer and autumn, capelin migrate north- and north-eastward for feeding.[2]
Icelandic capelin move inshore in large schools to spawn and migrate in spring and summer to feed in the plankton-rich oceanic area between Iceland, Greenland, and Jan Mayen. Capelin distribution and migration is linked with ocean currents and water masses. Around Iceland, maturing capelin usually undertake extensive northward feeding migrations in spring and summer, and the return migration takes place in September to November. The spawning migration starts from north of Iceland in December to January. In 2009, researchers from Iceland made an interacting particle model of the capelin stock around Iceland, successfully predicting the spawning migration route for the previous year.[3]
Reproduction
As an
Studies on two populations of Newfoundland capelin which spawn in two distinct habitats found a lack of evidence of genetic variability between beach and deep-water spawners.[11] This provides support for the species being facultative spawners. Capelin may select optimal spawning location based on abiotic factors such as temperature range and sediment.[12] The optimal temperature range for capelin eggs that leads to greatest hatching success and offspring quality appears when eggs are incubated between 5 and 10 °C (41 and 50 °F).[12] This optimal temperature range provides support that individual capelin are able to select spawning location based on temperature, as temperature is one of the most variable factors between beach and deep-water spawning habitats for capelin.[12] There is also evidence that shows that temperature is not the only factor at play when it comes to selection of spawning habitat. When both habitats are simultaneously experiencing temperatures in the optimal range, capelin are found to spawn in both habitats.[11] This may be an advantageous strategy that leads to increased fitness.[11] Capelin have been observed to spawn at beaches when deep-water or subtidal habitat is lower than 2 °C (36 °F) and spawn in deep-water habitats when beach habitats temperature is consistently above 12 °C (54 °F).[12]
Diet
Capelin are planktivorous fishes that forage in the pelagic zone.[13] Studies analyzing diet in populations of capelin in both the arctic marine environment as well as in west Greenland waters show that their diet consists upon primarily euphausiids, amphipods, and copepods.[14][13] As capelin individuals grow, the composition of their diet changes.[14] Smaller capelin primarily consume smaller prey (copepods) and shift their diet towards feeding on primarily larger euphausiids and amphipods as body and gape size increases.[14][13] The sufficient distribution and abundance of these zooplankton is necessary for capelin to meet energy requirements for progressing through many stages of their life cycle.[13] Capelin occupy a similar dietary niche as polar cod, which leads to a potential for interspecific competition between the two species.[13]
Fisheries
Capelin is an important forage fish, and is essential as the key food of the Atlantic cod. The northeast Atlantic cod and capelin fisheries, therefore, are managed by a multispecies approach developed by the main resource owners Norway and Russia.
In some years with large quantities of Atlantic herring in the Barents Sea, capelin seem to be heavily affected. Probably both food competition and herring feeding on capelin larvae lead to collapses in the capelin stock. In some years, though good recruitment of capelin despite a high herring biomass suggests that herring are only one factor influencing capelin dynamics.
In the provinces of
Commercially, capelin is used for
Citations
- ^ a b Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2016). "Mallotus villosus" in FishBase. August 2016 version.
- ^ .
- .
- ^ .
- ^ .
- ISBN 8790787005
- ^ Polar Life Canada: Capelin, Mallotus villosus. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
- ^ Roland, T. (9 April 2010). Running with the Grunion. The Independent. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
- ISBN 978-1482207972.
- ^ .
- ^ ISSN 0008-4301.
- ^ ISSN 1054-3139.
- ^ ISSN 0722-4060.
- ^ ISSN 0722-4060.
- ^ Mallotus villosus (Müller, 1776) FAO, Species Fact Sheet. Retrieved April 2012.
- ^ "They're Back: Capelin are Rolling at Middle Cove Beach". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ^ "'Tobiko' & 'Ebiko'". Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
General and cited references
- Capelin off Iceland: Biology, exploitation and management
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Ward, Artemas (1911). "Capelin". The Grocer's Encyclopedia.