Size‐dependent social attraction and repulsion explains the decision of Atlantic cod Gadus morhua to enter baited pots |
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| Authors: | N. Anders A. Fernö O.‐B. Humborstad S. Løkkeborg G. Rieucau A. C. Utne‐Palm |
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| Affiliation: | 1. University of Bergen, Department of Biology, Bergen, Norway;2. Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway;3. Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, Chauvin, LA, U.S.A. |
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| Abstract: | The present study tested whether the presence of already retained fishes inside baited fish pots acted as a social attraction and affected the entrance probability of Atlantic cod Gadus morhua in a fjord in northern Norway. Video analysis revealed that the probability of an entrance initially increased with the presence of low numbers of fishes inside the pot, but subsequently decreased at a critical number of caught fishes. The critical number was dependent on the size of the G. morhua attempting to enter. This demonstrates that social attraction and repulsion play a role in G. morhua pot fishing and has important implications for the capture efficiency of fisheries executed with pots. |
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| Keywords: | cod fish pots Gadus morhua social attraction social repulsion |
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