Feeding of the Barents Sea fish on large bivalvians

Stomach contents of major commercial fish species in the Barents Sea (cod Gadus mohrua, had-dock Melanogrammus aeglefinus, and striped catfish Anarhichas minor) include the soft parts of large bivalvians—serripes Serripes gröenlandicus and Iceland scallop Chlamys islandica. The remains of serripes in the stomachs of fish are represented by muscular legs, while those of scallop by muscle and gonads. It is assumed that fish are likely to tear the soft parts of serripes during movement of a mollusk on the ground. Fish can consume the body of scallops only as scallop processing wastes or after shell crushing by fishing gear at bottom trawling and dredging.