— 145 — JOHS. SCHMIDT 



marine Kidge between Greenland— Iceland— Fseroes (i.e. from the whole Norwegian Sea)', 

 the greater parts of the North Sea and the English Ciiannel. On the other hand it spawns 

 in qnantities in the Atlantic right from west of the Fœroes to the Ray of Biscay inclu- 

 sive, beyond or in the neighbourhood of the 1000-meter line, yet not within the 200-meter 

 line, therefore beyond or on the margin of the coastal banks. 

 The boundaries for the spawning are: 



northern limit: the waters S. of Iceland; 



southern limit: south of these regions (occurs in the Mediterranean); 



minimum temperature: ca. 6° — 7°; 



maximum temperature: ? 



principal spawning time: spring. 



12. Hake (Merluccius vulgaris Flem.) 

 Only the northern boundary falls within the regions investigated. To judge from the 

 conditions in the Atlantic its special requirements seem to be high temperatures (and sal- 

 inities) and it is thus excluded from spawning in several of the regions dealt with here. 

 It apparently spawns in greatest quantities between the 100- and 200-meter lines but also 

 in deeper water (perhaps leading a pelagic life there). At less depths than ca. 100 meters 

 but little spawning seems to take place. 



It is quite absent at Iceland and the Fseroes, but spawning occurs in the Atlantic 

 right from the northern part of the British Isles to the southernmost part of the Bay of 

 Biscay, in greatest quantity furthest to the south in agreement with this species' southerly 

 distribution (also in the Mediterranean and off Morocco). It likewise spawns in the western 

 part of the Channel as also, at any rate in certain years, in the Skager Kak and the most 

 northern (north-western) part of the North Sea. There is no spawning over the greater 

 part of the North Sea. 



The boundaries for the spawning are: 



northern limit: northern part of the British Atlantic coasts; 

 southern limit: south of the regions investigated; 

 minimum temperature: ca. 9° — 10°^; 

 maximum temperature: ? 



principal spawning time: spring (southernmost part of the regions invest- 

 igated) and summer. 



13. Ling {Molva molva L.) 

 Both the northern and southern boundaries fall within the regions investigated. In 

 its requirements as regards depth, temperature and salinity during the spawning the ling 

 comes nearest to the coalfish, yet with some differences. Most production seems to take 

 place between 100 and 200 meters. 



1 According to friendly information from Dr. Johan H.tort, the silvery pout spawns in the deeper 

 Norwegian fjords, where the hydrographical conditions resemble those in the Atlantic (of. p. 164). 



- This temperature is based on the conditions in the Atlantic, in which spawning does not take 

 place at Iceland or the Fœroes but at the British Isles. The spawning which occurs in the Skager Rak 

 (in the summer) may however take place under somewhat lower temperatures, unless the hake spawns 

 pelagically in the upper layers where the temperature is higher than in deep water. 



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