MIGRATIONS OF COD 
93 
It seems apparent that only to a small extent do the cod fry which seek bottom 
on Nantucket Shoals contribute to the stock of fish there, for, whatever may happen 
to them, few survive on the shoals after they reach about 1 year of age. Consequently, 
the population must be kept up largely by the immigration of older cod (young- 
adults and near adults) from other localities. A discussion of these follows. 
IMMIGRATIONS TO NANTUCKET SHOALS OF ADULT AND NEARLY ADULT COD 
That schools of medium-sized cod appear on Nantucket Shoals from time to time 
was learned from the length-frequency distributions of the fish caught by the Halcyon 
and the Albatross II. Unfortunately, none of these fish bore tags from other grounds; 
hence, definite information as to their source is lacking. However, recaptures taken 
along a route to Nantucket Shoals and beyond of cod tagged to the north and east of 
Cape Cod throw some light on this question. Their records follow. 
LENGTH IN CENTIMETERS 
Figure 28. — Length-frequency distribution of the young cod caught in an otter trawl during the course of a week’s 
fishing on northeastern Georges Bank September 19-25, 1929. Smoothed once by a moving average of 3 
Year 1923 . — Only 12 cod were tagged on grounds other than Nantucket Shoals 
during 1923 — all on Stellwagen bank (between Cape Cod and Cape Ann). Out of the 
three recaptures subsequently made one fish was taken at Rockaway, N. Y. 
Year 1924 ■ — A total of 3,144 cod was tagged along shore between New Hampshire 
and Mount Desert, Me., and on the following offshore banks: Stellwagen Bank, 
Boone Island, Jeffreys Ledge, and Platts Bank. There were 396 recaptures reported, 
of which the following fish migrated toward or past Nantucket Shoals: 2 fish were 
taken 10 to 23 miles off Highland Light, Cape Cod; 2 off Chatham, 3 in South Channel, 
2 near Round Shoal buoy on Nantucket Shoals, and 1 at Rockaway, N. Y. In 
addition a southerly direction was taken by one of the fish tagged near Portland, 
which was recaught on Stellwagen Bank, and by 2 Mount Desert cod, 1 of which was 
taken on Jeffreys Ledge and 1 on Platts Bank. 
