Abstract
Summary: This paper describes the risk of burst bellies in capelin caught during the intense feeding period (‘summer capelin’) and during the spawning period (‘winter capelin’) and discusses this phenomenon in relation to the proteolytic activity in the digestive tract of the fish. The risk of belly bursting is highest in summer capelin probably because the fish caught during the intense feeding period contains more digestive enzymes than at other times of the year. It is suggested that the risk of burst bellies is highest if the fish is caught at a late stage of digestion after heavy feeding, because the enzymes are then free to diffuse into the surrounding tissue. A protein‐solubilizing mechanism active at neutral pH is discussed.