Capelin off Iceland, East Greenland and Jan Mayen
The capelin at Iceland spawns along the southern and western coasts of Iceland. While several other capelin stocks spawn on the beaches, both these stocks spawn at depths of 10-60 m. The eggs are spawned on sand and gravel, where they are attached until hatching.
Capelin is a small salmoid fish distributed in boreal areas on the northern hemisphere. It is a pelagic schooling fish feeding on zooplankton.
It is dark on the back with a light belly, which makes it difficult to see for predators from above (birds, seals, whales) or beneath (fish, whales). The capelin has a large mouth and well developed gill gitter and can therefore feed effectively on plankton organisms like copepods and krill.
The male capelin develops a characteristic appearance towards spawning,…
