~ 53 — 



which the spawning takes place is everywhere fairly narrow; but at a few places, 

 especially on the north and west coast of Scotland, we have somewhat larger areas 

 where the cod spawns to the same extent as on the Icelandic and Norwegian banks; the 

 spawning gradually decreases however from Scotland towards the south coast of Ireland, ■ 

 and this coast seems to form the boundary for the spawning of the species. A very 

 small spawning occurs however in the Channel. 



3. Qadus virens, L., Coalfish 



(see Chart fig. 13) 

 I. North Sea 



In the North Sea fresh-spawned eggs of Gadtis vïrens only occur over depths from 

 100 to 200 M. Not a single coalfîsh egg was found in the whole southern part of the 

 North Sea, nor in the Norwegian Channel, which is over 200 M. deep. 



The spawning places are thus restricted to the northernmost part of the North Sea 

 Bank and to the waters close to the Norwegian coast. The maximum spawning proceeds 

 at a depth of about 150 M. Thus a greater density of the eggs will be noticed on the 

 Chart on the slope of the North Sea Bank towards the Norwegian Sea basin ("Tampen"), 

 as also on the slope towards the Norwegian Channel ("Revet"). From Damas' paper we 

 see that a large amount of spawning occurs here. In the Skager Rak, that is, east of 

 the line Naze — Hanstholm, nothing was found which might indicate a possible spawn- 

 ing there. 



The spawning time falls in the early months of the year. 



II. Norwegian Sea 



(a) The spawning has the same character on the Norwegian coast of the 

 Norwegian Sea as in the North Sea; it is limited to the same depths 100—200 M. 

 and to the coastal banks, but does not occur in the fjords nor near the land. The 

 richest spawning place on the entire Norwegian coast is the Romsdal Bank, which pos- 

 sesses many resemblances to the northern slope of the North Sea Bank. Further to the 

 north the amount of spawning rapidly decreases. Where the northern boundary is to be 

 drawn cannot be determined with certainty, all the less as it seems to vary from year to 

 year. It is a remarkable fact, however, that the early stages do not occur in the samples 

 from Lofoten and further north. The boundary must consequently be considered as 

 lying somewhere between Trondhjem Fjord and Lofoten, in any case at least so far as 

 any large spawning of coalfish eggs is concerned. 



(b) Faeroes. Here the coalfish spawns in large quantities, perhaps in greater 

 numbers and in greater density than anywhere else. 



(c) Iceland. The coalfish spawns in great quantity on the south coast and on the 

 most southerly part of the west coast, though not on the north and east coasts. 



III. Atlantic Ocean 



The coalfîsh spawns in great quantities both on the Scottish and Irish coasts, though 

 with decreasing intensity towards the south. In the Channel, where the depths also are 

 smaller, spawning does not occur. Whether spawning takes place in the Bay of Biscay 

 cannot at present be said, and in any case this would only occur in the northernmost 

 part and only to a very small extent. 



