Distribution of Early-Stage Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua), Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), and Witch Flounder (Glyptocephalus cynoglossus) Eggs on the Scotian Shelf: A Reappraisal of Evidence on the Coupling of Cod Spawning and Plankton Production

Abstract

In spring, Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) spawned progressively later from southwest to northeast along the Scotian Shelf and matched the variation in peak abundance of Calanus finmarchicus. In fall, cod spawned in some, but not all, areas where Calanus were abundant. This is consistent with the hypothesis that cod spawning is coupled to copepod production, which is a part of the "match–mismatch" hypothesis proposed by D. H. Cushing. The timing of spawning was estimated from the distributions of early- and late-stage eggs of cod, haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), and witch flounder (Glyptocephalus cynoglossus) collected during Scotian Shelf Ichthyoplankton Survey (SSIP) cruises in 1979–81.