Temporal and geographic differences in feeding and nutritional condition of walleye pollock larvae Theragra chalcogramma in Shelikof Strait, Gulf of Alaska

Abstract

In early spring, feeding intensity, mean RNA/DNA values of larvae, and microzooplankton abundance were higher within a large patch of larvae compared with areas outside the patch. In mid-spring, microzooplankton prey abundance, feeding levels and RNA/DNA of larvae in and out of the previously defined patch were higher, indicating better overall conditions for growth than in early spring. Results suggest that limiting food densities may occur during spring over spatial and temporal scales that affect feeding and growth of larval pollock. -from Authors