FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 82, NO. 1 



Austnesfjorden -Holla 29 Apr. 81 



a 

 a 



2 n. miles 



1610 H 



B 0950 



Austnesfjorden Holla 29 Apr. d1 



2 n. miles 



1610 H 



a 



Q 10H 



20 



30 J 



40 



FIGURE 8.— Particle (A) and nauplii (B) distributions (per liter) in the upper 40 m of Austnesfjord, 29 April 1981, at 0950 to 



1610 h. 



Distribution of Cod Larvae 



The highest concentration of cod larvae (140-290 

 larvae/m 2 ) was observed in the middle of May at the 

 bottom of the Austnesfjord both in 1980 and 1981 

 (Fig. 10). This has also been observed on previous 

 cruises (Ellertsen et al. 1977). The research vessel 

 was therefore anchored at the middle station on sec- 

 tion 5, where 24-h stations were made. 



In 1 98 1 , the study of the distribution of cod larvae in 

 the exposed open ocean bay of Vesteralsfjorden 

 showed that larvae were only found on the innermost 

 stations with a maximum of 4 larvae/m 2 (Fig. 2), e.g., 

 only two cod larvae in vertical Juday net hauls from 

 30 m depth. 



Gut contents of 738 cod larvae were examined from 

 39 pump samples. Fewer than 10 larvae were found 

 in pump samples from 30 and 35 m depths from the 

 01-02 h pump profile and from 35 m depth from the 



04-05 h pump profile. These larvae have not been 

 included in the analysis (Fig. 11B). A total of 1,204 

 prey organisms were found, out of which 96.5% were 

 identified as copepod nauplii. Only 1.7% of the prey 

 organisms could not be identified. About 0.5% of the 

 larval cod gut content was bivalve veliger larvae, 

 copepod eggs, and phytoplankton (Peridinium sp.), 

 and 1.3% was identified as copepod fecal pellets. The 

 size distribution of the main prey organisms (e.g., 

 copepod nauplii) ranged from 140 to 520 jiim with a 

 mean size of 224 /xm (all measurements as 

 carapace length). 



Gut content analysis of cod larvae is presented in 

 Figure 1 IB as feeding incidence (percent larvae with 

 gut content) and larval feeding ratio (number of prey 

 organisms per larval gut). The feeding incidence 

 varied between 73 and 100% in samples from the 

 three pump profiles taken before midnight. In 6 1 % of 

 these samples the feeding incidence was as high as 



148 



