Mixed origin of juvenile Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) along the Swedish west coast

AbstractCryptic population structure in exploited fish species poses a major challenge for fisheries management. Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) is a species in which the presence of sympatric ecotypes has been known for a long time, for instance off the coast of Northern Norway. More recently, two sympatric ecotypes of cod have also been documented in the Skagerrak and Kattegat; one ecotype is of an apparent offshore origin and undertakes spawning migrations to the North Sea, and the other is resident at the coast throughout its life. However, their relative contributions of juveniles to the Swedish west coast remain poorly understood. The lack of adult cod along the Skagerrak and Kattegat coa…