Feeding ecology of cod (Gadus morhua L.) in Balsfjord and Ullsfjord, northern Norway, 1982-1983

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Abstract
A comparison is made of the feeding habits of cod in two fjords in northern Norway, Ullsfjord and Balsfjord. Of the two, Ullsfjord is the warmer and fairly typical of Norwegian coastal waters. Balsfjord is closer to the Barents Sea in its temperature regime and ecosystem. In Balsfjord, the main food of small cod consisted of benthic crustaceans, while large cod fed mainly on capelin, with occasional concentration on prawns when feeding near the seabed or on krill when feeding pelagically. In Ullsfjord, crustaceans were present in the diet of cod of all sizes, prawns being the main food of cod feeding demersally and krill that of larger cod feeding pelagically. The dietary transition to capelin in Balsfjord and to krill in Ullsfjord occurred when cod reached a length of 40 to 50 cm. The present observations confirm the importance of the pelagic food chain in these fjords.

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