Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2019Capelin Mallotus villosus is a forage fish that is integral to many Arctic and subarctic marine food webs, but is less thoroughly studied outside the Atlantic Ocean. The goal of this research was to study spawning Capelin in data-poor areas, particularly in waters off the coast of Alaska and the western Canadian Arctic, to enrich baseline data and allude to intraspecies diversity. Chapter one examined the distribution and life history of spawning Capelin in Norton Sound, Alaska, by conducting aerial surveys, collecting sediment samples to characterize beach spawning habitats, and identifying biological attributes of spawners (e.g., body size, age, fecundity, etc.). Chapter two used a geometric morphometric approach (i.e., relative warps) and multiple statistical techniques (i.e., relative warp analysis, Procrustes analysis of variance, estimates of morphological disparity, and canonical variates analysis) to differentiate among and within putative populations of spawning Capelin in the western Canadian Arctic, Newfoundland, Canada, and Alaska. Spawning Capelin in Norton Sound portrayed similar behaviors, occupied similar beach habitats, and encompassed a similar range in biological attributes as fish observed in other regions throughout this species' geographic distribution. However, average spawner body size, age, fecundity, and morphometry differed among regions. These results suggest that Capelin exhibit some similarities in spawning behavior and habitat use across their geographic distribution, but may exhibit population-specific differences in biological attributes among and within regions.North Pacific Research Board (project number: 1707), the Rasmuson Fisheries Research Center, and the Jessie O'Bryan McIntosh ScholarshipGeneral introduction -- Chapter 1: Distribution and life history of spawning Capelin Mallotus villosus in subarctic Alaska -- Chapter 2: Capelin Mallotus villosus population differentiation among and within regions using relative warps -- General conclusion
