Feeding Of 0-Group Herring Clupea Harengus (Linne) In The Barents Sea

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0-group herring was sampled in the Barents Sea in August-September 2002-2005 during the 0-group survey and trawl acoustic survey of pelagic fish, as well as during the trawl acoustic survey of demersal fish in November-December 2003. Diet of 0-group herring was found to consist of 28 food organisms of 9 phyla. The most frequently occurring food of juvenile herring in August-September were Copepoda, Cladocera, larvae of Bivalvia and Cirripedia, while adult and larval euphausiids and Calanus finmarchicus were predominant by weight. In November-December, juvenile herring fed mainly on adult euphausiids, pteropods and Metridia longa, but the portion of euphausiids by weight was the greatest. A dependence of food composition on fish length was revealed. C. finmarchicus dominated in the diet of herring smaller than 60 mm, while fish larger than 60 mm consumed mainly euphausiids. Prevalence of certain food in the diet of herring, in particular, of smaller fish, indicates the plankton species predominating in that period.