Die Fruchtbarkeit von Dorschen in der Ostsee - was verrät sie uns?

About 1500 ovaries of Baltic cod were prepared for estimating the potential absolute and relative individual fecundity. The female cod were sampled in the Belt Sea, ICES Subdivision (SD) 22, in the Arkona Sea, SD 24, and in the Bornholm Sea, SD 25. The investigations started in1992 and until 1999 cruises were carried out to catch female cod in the different sub-divisions every year. The results shows that the potential fecundity is not a stable biological parameter, and that significant changes are possible within a relative short period. It was demonstrated that the developments of the potential individual fecundity of the western (Gadus morhua morhua) and eastern Baltic cod stocks (Gadus morhua callarias) were different. In contrast to the stable individual fecundity of the western cod the absolute and relative fecundity of the eastern repeat spawners increased from 1993 to 1999, significantly. The reason of this development seems to be the dramatic decrease of the eastern cod stock and the more successful reproduction of individuals that produce oocytes with a lower dry weight in combination with a higher relative fecundity.