Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Phase transition in recruitment and distribution of monkfish (Lophius piscatorius) in Icelandic waters

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Marine Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The abundance and distribution of monkfish (Lophius piscatorius) at Iceland have increased rapidly in the last decade, concurrent with rising seawater temperatures and salinity. These environmental changes seem to have improved the reproductive success of the monkfish stock, and since 1998 large cohorts have recruited almost annually, in great contrast to at least 15 years prior to that. The study indicates that the transition in recruitment could be mediated by the direct effects of expanded nursery and feeding habitat through elevated temperatures. Other factors are likely to be involved, such as a more favourable egg and larval drift resulting from a changed inflow of surface water from spawning to nursery areas. A proportion of the monkfish stock in Icelandic waters may originate from distant areas, either by means of larval drift or active migration of larger fish.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anonymous (2009a) Environmental conditions in Icelandic waters 2008. Hafrannsóknir/Mar Res Icel, 145, 74 p

  • Anonymous (2009b) State of marine stocks in Icelandic waters 2008/2009. Prospects for the quota year 2009/2010. Hafrannsóknir/Mar Res Icel, 146, 174 p

  • Astthorsson OS, Palsson J (2006) New fish records and records of rare southern species in Icelandic waters in the warm period 1996–2005. ICES CM/C:20, 22 p

  • Astthorsson OS, Gislason A, Jonsson S (2007) Climate variability and the Icelandic marine ecosystem. Deep-Sea Res Part II 54:2456–2477

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Attrill MJ, Powers M (2002) Climatic influence on a marine fish assemblage. Nature 417:275–278

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Björnsson H, Pálsson ÓK (2004) Distribution patterns and dynamics of fish stocks under recent climate change in Icelandic waters. ICES CM/K:30, 27 p

  • Caruso JH (1986) Lophiidae. In: Whitehead PJP, Bauchot M-L, Hureau JC, Nielsen J, Tortonese E (eds) Fishes of the North-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Unesco, Paris, pp 1362–1363

    Google Scholar 

  • Ciannelli L, Baily KM, Chan K-S, Belgrano A, Stenseth NC (2005) Climate change causing phase transitions of walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) recruitment dynamics. Proc R Soc B 272:1735–1743

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Duffy-Anderson JT, Bailey K, Ciannelli L, Cury P, Belgrano A, Stenseth NC (2005) Phase transitions in marine fish recruitment processes. Ecol Complex 2:205–218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Friðriksson Á (1949) Boreo-tended changes in the marine vertebrate fauna of Iceland during the last 25 years. Rapports et Proces-Verbaux 125:30–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Galan A, Eiríksson H (2009) Tösku-, tann- og klettakrabbar [Recent findings of three species of the genus Cancer off the south and west coasts of Iceland]. Natturufraedingurinn 77:101–106 (in Icelandic with an English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Guijarro-Garcia E (2007) The northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) offshore fishery in the Northeast Atlantic. Adv Mar Biol 52:147–266

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gunnarsson B, Ásgeirsson ÞH, Ingólfsson A (2007) The rapid colonization by Crangon crangon (Linnaeus, 1758) (Eucarida, Caridea, Crangonidae) of Icelandic coastal waters. Crustaceana 80:747–753

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hare JA, Able KW (2007) Mechanistic links between climate and fisheries along the east coast of the United States: explaining population outbursts of Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus). Fish Oceanogr 16:31–45

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hátún H, Sandø AB, Drange H, Hansen B, Valdimarsson H (2005) Influence of the Atlantic subpolar gyre on the thermohaline circulation. Science 309:1841–1844

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hátún H, Payne MR, Beaugrand G, Reid PC, Sandø AB, Drange H, Hansen B, Jacobsen JA, Bloch D (2009a) Large bio-geographical shifts in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean: from the subpolar gyre, via plankton, to blue whiting and pilot whales. Prog Oceanogr 80:149–162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hátún H, Payne MR, Jacobsen JA (2009b) The North Atlantic subpolar gyre regulates the spawning distribution of blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou). Can J Fish Aquat Sci 66:759–770

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hislop JRG, Holst JC, Skagen D (2000) Near-surface captures of post-juvenile anglerfish in the North-east Atlantic—an unsolved mystery. J Fish Biol 57:1083–1087

    Google Scholar 

  • Hislop JRG, Gallego A, Heath MR, Kennedy FM, Reeves SA, Wright PJ (2001) A synthesis of the early life history of the anglerfish, Lophius piscatorius (Linnaeus, 1758) in northern British waters. ICES J Mar Sci 58:70–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jakobsson J, Østvedt OJ (1999) A review of joint investigations on the distribution of herring in the Norwegian and Iceland Seas 1950–1970. Rit Fiskideildar 16:209–238

    Google Scholar 

  • Jonasson JP, Thorarinsdottir G, Eiriksson H, Solmundsson J, Marteinsdottir G (2007) Collapse of the fishery for Iceland scallop (Chlamys islandica) in Breidafjordur, West Iceland. ICES J Mar Sci 64:298–308

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jónsson S (1999) Temperature time series from Icelandic coastal stations. Rit Fiskideildar 16:59–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Jónsson G, Pálsson J (2006) Íslenskir fiskar. [Icelandic fishes]. Vaka-Helgafell, Reykjavik (in Icelandic)

    Google Scholar 

  • Jónsson S, Valdimarsson H (2005) The flow of Atlantic water to the North Icelandic Shelf and its relation to the drift of cod larvae. ICES J Mar Sci 92:1350–1359

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laurenson CH, Priede I (2005) The diet and trophic ecology of anglerfish Lophius piscatorius at the Shetland Islands, UK. J Mar Biol Assoc UK 85:419–424

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laurenson CH, Johnson A, Priede IG (2005) Movements and growth of monkfish Lophius piscatorius tagged at the Shetland Islands, northeastern Atlantic. Fish Res 71:185–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lilliendahl K, Einarsson ST, Pálsson J (2005) Tvær sjaldgæfar tegundir skjaldkrabba (Decapoda) við Ísland. [Two species of rare crabs, Paralomis spectabilis and Paromola cuvieri (Crustacea, Decapoda), in Icelandic waters]. Natturufraedingurinn 73:89–94 (in Icelandic with an English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Malmberg S-A, Kristmannsson SS (1992) Hydrographic conditions in Icelandic waters 1980–1989. ICES Mar Sci Symp 195:76–92

    Google Scholar 

  • Malmberg S-A, Valdimarsson H (2003) Hydrographic conditions in Icelandic waters 1990–1999. ICES Mar Sci Symp 219:50–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Ottersen G, Michalsen K, Nakken O (1998) Ambient temperature and distribution of north-east Arctic cod. ICES J Mar Sci 55:67–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pálsson OK, Jonsson E, Schopka SA, Stefansson G, Steinarsson BAE (1989) Icelandic groundfish survey data used to improve precision in stock assessments. J Northwest Atl Fish Sci 9:53–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Perry RI, Smith SJ (1994) Identifying habitat associations of marine fishes using survey data: an application to the Northwest Atlantic. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 51:589–602

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perry AL, Low PJ, Ellis JR, Reynolds JD (2005) Climate change and distribution shifts in marine fishes. Science 308:1912–1915

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Roessig JM, Woodley CM, Cech JJ Jr, Hansen LJ (2004) Effects of global climate change on marine and estuarine fishes and fisheries. Rev Fish Biol Fish 14:251–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saemundsson B (1934) Probable influence of changes in temperature on the marine fauna of Iceland. Rapports et Proces-Verbaux 86:1–6

    Google Scholar 

  • Schopka SA (1994) Fluctuations in the cod stock off Iceland during the twentieth century in relation to changes in the fisheries and environment. ICES Mar Sci Symp 198:175–193

    Google Scholar 

  • Stefansdottir L, Solmundsson J, Marteinsdottir G, Kristinsson K, Jonasson JP (2009) Groundfish species diversity and assemblage structure in Icelandic waters during recent years of warming. Fish Oceanogr 19. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2419.2009.00527.x

  • Sveinbjörnsson S, Hjörleifsson E (2003) Report on the 0-group fish survey in Icelandic waters, August 2003. ICES CM/ACFM:20, 16 p

  • Tåning AV (1923) Lophius. Report on the Danish oceanographical expeditions 1908–1910 to the Mediterranean and adjacent seas. 2 (Biology. A. 10):1–30

  • Thangstad T, Bjelland O, Nedreaas KH, Jónsson E, Laurenson CH, Ofstad LH (2006) Anglerfish (Lophius spp) in Nordic waters. TemaNord 2006: 570. Nordic Council of Ministers, Copenhagen

    Google Scholar 

  • Tian Y, Ueno Y, Suda M, Akamine T (2004) Decadal variability in the abundance of Pacific saury and its response to climatic/oceanic regime shifts in the northwestern subtropical Pacific during the last half century. J Mar Syst 52:235–257

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vilhjalmsson H (2002) Capelin (Mallotus villosus) in the Iceland–East Greenland–Jan Mayen ecosystem. ICES J Mar Sci 59:870–883

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank all those that collected data aboard survey vessels, Droplaug Ólafsdóttir at the MRI for permission to use data on monkfish caught on tuna longlines and Einar Ásgeirsson for information on those fish. Finally we thank Kristján Lilliendahl and two anonymous reviewers for improving earlier versions of this paper.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Research Institute, Skulagata 4, PO Box 1390, 121, Reykjavik, Iceland

    Jon Solmundsson, Einar Jonsson & Hoskuldur Bjornsson

Authors
  1. Jon Solmundsson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Einar Jonsson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hoskuldur Bjornsson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jon Solmundsson.

Additional information

Communicated by M. A. Peck.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Solmundsson, J., Jonsson, E. & Bjornsson, H. Phase transition in recruitment and distribution of monkfish (Lophius piscatorius) in Icelandic waters. Mar Biol 157, 295–305 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-009-1317-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-009-1317-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation