244 THE COD FAMILY. 



Thus the young cod as hatched is about Y'(jth inch in length, 

 and roughly doubles this figure in about a fortnight. 



" The further growth is extremely diverse in the several 

 individuals, which maj^ depend on difference of race as well as 

 on the greater or less quantity of food the young creature 

 manages to procure, and consequently, when I give a size, it 

 must be understood as an average. Between June 6 and July 

 8 there is a great increase in the development (see above), 

 which may be explained by the fact that the young begin to 

 eat the food flung to them in considerable quantity twice a 

 day." _ 



It is interesting to note that at the expiration of about a 

 month the young fish is roughly half-an-inch in length and that, 

 after the increase above referred to, the two next consecutive 

 months present each a further growth of half-an-incR per 

 naoHth, whilst this" figure is doubled during the month next 

 following. As regards the growth after October, Dannevig 

 remarks : — 



" From the middle of October to the middle of February the 

 growth has been much slower, for reasons which are very easily 

 explained. The fry of the cod in the open sea set out for deep 

 water when the surface water begins to get cold, which generally 

 happens in November... Such an emigration cannot take place 

 in the basin except as far as they seek the deepest hollows, 

 where they usually remain; that this must exercise a great 

 influence on their development was foreseen. In cold weather 

 they entirely abstain from food." 



Thus the growth-rates become unreliable after October, and 

 even before this the sizes given are probably below the natural 

 average. The longest first-year cod caught at sea in mid- 

 October was just over 6 inches in length. Off our shores cod 

 of 8 inches are common in November, though others may be 

 only 4| inches. After February, Dannevig notes another rapid 

 growth and states that many of the codlings are over 1 foot in 

 length by June, or 14 months from the date of hatching. 



The cod attains maturity at an average length of about 20 

 inches. 



