Mallotus villosus

Oceanic species found in schools (Ref. 2850). Nerito-pelagic (Ref. 58426). Adults feed on planktonic crustaceans, copepods, euphausiids, amphipods, marine worms, and small fishes (Ref. 6885, 35388). Mature individuals move inshore in large schools to spawn (Ref. 2850). In the spring large spawning shoals migrate toward the coasts, males usually arrive first. Often entering brackish and freshwater (Ref. 37812). Semelparous (Ref. 51846). Produces 6,000-12,000 adhesive eggs. Females are valued for their roe, males are utilized as fishmeal. Marketed canned and frozen; eaten fried and dried (Ref. 9988). Possibly to 725 m depth (Ref. 6793).

Hudson Bay to Gulf of Maine

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: This circumboreal-Arctic species ranges from the Beaufort Sea to the Strait of Juan de Fuca in the eastern Pacific Ocean, across southern Arctic Canada, and south in the western Atlantic to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. In the western Pacific, the range extends to Japan and Korea, Sea of Okhotsk (Mecklenburg et al. 2002). Five independent stocks likely in the Bering Sea (Naumenko 1996), 4 or 5 stocks are believed to occur off Newfoundland in the Atlantic Ocean (Carscadden 1981, Nakashima 1992). This species is often associated with the polar ice edge.

Circumpolar in Northern Hemisphere.

Circumpolar in the Arctic. North Atlantic: Barents Sea up to Bear Island, in the White and Norwegian seas, off the coast of Greenland up to 74°N and from Hudson Bay in Canada to Gulf of Maine, USA. North Pacific: south to Korea and Juan de Fuca Strait, Canada.

Boreal-Arctic seas, south to the coast of Maine, USA.

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 14; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 16 - 23; Vertebrae: 62 - 73

Maximum size: 200 mm ---

20.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; (Ref. 11626)); 25.2 cm TL (female); max. published weight: 52.0 g (Ref. 56475); max. reported age: 10 years (Ref. 72498)

to 20.0 cm TL; 25.2 cm TL (female).

Adipose with long base, about 1.5 times as long as the orbit or longer, outer margin only slightly curved (Ref. 6885). Olive green on dorsal surface, merging into silvery on sides and ventral surface (Ref. 6885).

nektonic

Found in cold, deep waters, an oceanic species which moves instream to spawn.

Habitat Type: Marine

Depth: 0 - 300m.
Recorded at 300 meters.

Habitat: pelagic.

pelagic-oceanic; anadromous (Ref. 46888); freshwater; brackish; marine; depth range 0 - 725 m (Ref. 58426)

Depth range based on 8347 specimens in 1 taxon.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 6610 samples.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 0 - 890
  Temperature range (°C): -2.072 - 10.205
  Nitrate (umol/L): 0.916 - 34.597
  Salinity (PPS): 28.657 - 34.920
  Oxygen (ml/l): 3.207 - 8.596
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.354 - 2.965
  Silicate (umol/l): 1.599 - 56.187

Graphical representation

Depth range (m): 0 - 890

Temperature range (°C): -2.072 - 10.205

Nitrate (umol/L): 0.916 - 34.597

Salinity (PPS): 28.657 - 34.920

Oxygen (ml/l): 3.207 - 8.596

Phosphate (umol/l): 0.354 - 2.965

Silicate (umol/l): 1.599 - 56.187
 
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.

Pelagic; marine; depth range to 300 m. Oceanic species found in schools.

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Anadromous. Fish that ascend rivers to spawn, as salmon and hilsa do. Sub-division of diadromous. Migrations should be cyclical and predictable and cover more than 100 km.

Oceanic species found in schools (Ref. 2850). Nerito-pelagic (Ref. 58426). Feeds on planktonic crustaceans, copepods (especially Calanus (Ref. 5951)), euphausiids, amphipods, marine worms, and small fishes (Ref. 6885, 35388). Fish examined were non-spawning adults (Ref. 6885). It is preyed upon by other fishes, birds and marine mammals; Gadus morhua (Atlantic cod) as their chief predator. Parasites of the species include Eubothrium parvum (cestode), Anisakis sp. And Contracaecum sp. (nematodes) and Glugea sp. (protozoan) (Ref. 5951).

Planktonic crustaceans, copepods, euphausids, amphipods, marine worms, and small fishes.

caplin is prey of:
Boreogadus saida
Phoca groenlandica
Phoca

Based on studies in:
Arctic (Marine)

This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.

caplin preys on:
zooplankton

Based on studies in:
Arctic (Marine)

This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.

>1,000,000 individuals

Comments: The Barents Sea stock is potentially the largest capelin stock in the world, reaching 6-8 million tons in some years (Gjøsæter 1998, Ushakov and Prozorkevich 2002). Various estimates exist for Northeast Pacific stocks: Wolotira et al. (1977) estimated 190 mt (metric tons) for Norton Sound and the southeast Chukchi Sea; Laevastu and Favorite (1978) estimated 4.3 million tons (of primarily capelin and sand lance Ammodytes hexapterus) in the eastern Bering Sea; Trumble (1973) estimated 250,000-500,000 tons for the entire Northeast Pacific stock (calculated as a proportion of the Atlantic stock) and Wespestad (1987) estimated 500,000 mt for the same region in 1986. Biomass estimates from groundfish surveys conducted in the western, central and eastern Gulf of Alaska in 2003 were 18 mt, 2,258 mt, and 298 mt, respectively (Nelson 2003).

Feeds on crustaceans, copepods, euphausians, amphipods and small fishes

Reproductive strategy: synchronous ovarian organization, determinate fecundity (Ref. 51846). Experimental testing suggests facultative semelparity, with offshore-spawning capelin being absolute semelparous (death of both genders) and beach-spawning capelin being iteroparous irrespective of sex (Ref. 92136).

Maximum longevity: 10 years (wild) Observations: Animals commonly die after first spawning (Patnaik et al. 1994).

In the spring, large spawning schools migrate toward the coasts; males usually arrive first. Often enters brackish and freshwater. Sexually mature at 2 - 5 years and at length of 15 cm.

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Reasons: Widespread and abundant in arctic waters. Barents Sea stock declined sharply in 1984-1986 and again in 1992-1994. Gulf of Alaska stocks have also undergone large fluctuations since the mid-1970s; current trend is apparently stable. Potential threats include ecosystem shifts caused by climate change, overharvest of some stocks, incidental bycatch in fisheries targeting other species, and contamination of spawning habitat (e.g., from oil spills).

Comments: Threats include ecosystem shifts caused by climate change, overharvest of some stocks, incidental bycatch in fisheries that target other species, and contamination of spawning habitat (e.g., oil spills).

Not Evaluated

Biological Research Needs: Research needs include continued study of response to climatic and environmental changes and the importance of Pacific capelin in marine ecosystems. Baseline information is needed on life history and spawning dynamics. In the North Pacific, research is needed on assessing the importance of capelin in marine food webs.

fisheries: highly commercial; price category: low; price reliability: reliable: based on ex-vessel price for this species