Maternal influence on the size and viability of Iceland cod <i>Gadus morhua</i> eggs and larvae

Abstract

Size, condition, and age of female‐Icelandic cod Gadus morhua were correlated to the size of their eggs and newly hatched larvae. A positive relationship was detected between egg size and some larval viability parameters, including the age at first feeding, successful development of a swimbladder, and specific growth rates during the first 15 days after hatching. These results reveal that the viability of cod larvae is related to attributes of the spawning females and that this information is important to our understanding of stock‐recruitment relationships.