Ecology of poor cod (Trisopterus minutus) on the Faroe Bank.

Abstract

In March and September 2003, 209 poor cod (Trisopterus minutus) were sampled on the Faroe Bank. This was done because the biology of poor cod is poorly understood at present and I do find it interesting to describe a non-commercial fish on a fairly isolated ecosystem as the Faroe Bank. The paper shall give a comprehensive description of the biology and ecology of poor cod on the Faroe Bank. The paper is considering growth, food composition, age, sex maturity, condition factor, geographical distribution of the poor cod and bottom temperatures on the Faroe Bank. The results are compared with other results found on poor cod in other areas and on the Faroe Bank. The study shows that poor cod on the Faroe Bank is different from poor cod in other areas. The prey-species found in the stomach of poor cod on the Faroe Bank were mainly crustaces, polychaetes and fish, where crustaces were the dominating prey-species, whereas in other areas polychaetes are the dominating prey-species. Poor cod on the Faroe Bank is larger than poor cod in other areas. The female fishes are larger than the male fishes on the Faroe Bank. Females on the Faroe Bank are a little bit smaller in size and younger in age than the male fishes when they mature, this is contrary to other areas, such as the west coast of Scotland.

Date of Award	2004
Original language	English
Supervisor	Eyðfinn Magnussen (Supervisor)