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The Biological Features of the Atlantic Cod Gadus morhua L., 1758 (Gadiformes: Gadidae) of the Murmansk Coast: Race Composition and Fishing

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Abstract

The biological features of Atlantic cod in the coastal zones of the Murman for 1999–2006 were studied. The age composition, growth rate and maturation, feeding habits, and structure of otoliths were analyzed. Histological and genetic studies were carried out. It has been shown that young cod mainly lives and spawns in Western Murman bays. Older cod leaves the bays due to insufficient food supply. The growth rate of young coastal cod is comparable to that of cod in the open part of the Barents Sea. With age, the cod of the open sea areas noticeably overtakes the cod that lives in the coastal zone in growth. It was noted that the cod spawns in the bays with both coastal and Atlantic types of otoliths. Studies of genetic polymorphisms indicate a high degree of genetic similarity between cod groups in the Norwegian and Barents Seas under the influence of currents (branches of the Norwegian Atlantic Current, the Murmansk Coastal Current) and against the background of migrations at different stages of ontogeny of cod from coastal and open water areas.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors are grateful to the colleagues from the Polar Branch of the Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography: N.N. Trostyansky, V.B. Matyushkin, and S.V. Dolgov for their assistance in collecting materials in Western Murman bays and to N.V. Zuikova and N.A. Lepesevich for the participation and assistance in processing materials.

Funding

The study was carried out within the framework of the State Assignments of the the Polar Branch of the Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography and the Moscow State University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Moscow State University, 119234, Moscow, Russia

    A. N. Stroganov & E. V. Ponomareva

  2. Polar Branch, Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, 183038, Murmansk, Russia

    N. A. Yaragina & E. A. Filina

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  1. A. N. Stroganov
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  2. N. A. Yaragina
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  3. E. A. Filina
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  4. E. V. Ponomareva
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Correspondence to A. N. Stroganov.

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Conflict of interest. The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.Statement on the welfare of animals. All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. Animal-related experiments were approved by the Bioethics Committee of Moscow State University, protocol dated February 16, 2023.

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Stroganov, A.N., Yaragina, N.A., Filina, E.A. et al. The Biological Features of the Atlantic Cod Gadus morhua L., 1758 (Gadiformes: Gadidae) of the Murmansk Coast: Race Composition and Fishing. Russ J Mar Biol 49, 361–374 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063074023050127

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