Persistent differences in recruitment variability among co-occurring North Atlantic groundfish species

Abstract Knowledge of recruitment and its variability in marine fish populations contributes to sustainable fisheries but a full understanding remains elusive. An earlier study showed that haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) stocks exhibited consistently higher lower reproductive rates compared cod (Gadus morhua) the geographic regions where they co-occurred. Thus, may have resilience overexploitation, whereas be more likely rescued by chance strong recruitments events. Since initial study, ecosystems experienced large structural functional changes, as well changes management practice ocean warming. Here, we updated previous analysis with new data found despite explored, patterns persisted. Recruitment than cod, maximum annual reproduction rate at low spawning stock biomass (SSB) haddock, although latter difference is now less pronounced. Despite economic ecological importance their long history scientific scrutiny, persistent biology unexplained.