Growth through the first six months of Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua , and haddock, Melanogrammus aeglefinus , based on daily otolith increments

Daily growth increments of otoliths from larval and juvenile Atlantic cod and haddock were enumerated, and growth curves were derived describing the first six months of life. Growth for both species was best described by Gompertz-type curves. Inverse regressive methods were employed to construct general modes with confidence limits for predicting age (days) for given standard lengths (mm) from hatching through the juvenile period. Microstructural analysis of the otoliths did not discern a settling check at the time when the fish would be expected to leave the pelagic lifestyle for the demersal one, which indicates that the transition is neither physiologically stressful nor abrupt.