The relation between otolith size and larval size at hatching for Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua*

Abstract

We examined the relation- ship between otolith size and larval standard length (SL) at hatching for Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, on the Scotian Shelf. We found a weak corre- lation between SL and area-based and radius-based measures of size of both lapillar and sagittal otoliths. Correla- tions of SL with the area of the lapillus were strongest. However, the predictive ability of all relationships was low. For example, the range of predicted SL at hatching of larvae with lapilli of aver- age area included more than 90% of observed SLs in newly hatched larvae from the Scotian Shelf collected over two spawning seasons. These results suggest that otolith-based attempts to backcalculate the size of cod larvae may be prone to substantial error if sizes of particularly young larvae are esti- mated. We recommend that, where pos- sible, stock- and season-specific esti- mates of the relationship between the area of the lapillus and larval size at hatching be used in back-calculation