Merlangius merlangus

Whiting

Otolith description
The shape of the otoliths is ovally pointed. The sulcus is well developed and wide. The sulcus is closed, but runs over almost the whole length of the otolith. The ostium and cauda are well developed and separated by a narrowing of the sulcus. The cauda is longer than the ostium. The surface of the inside is smooth, while the outside and margins are lobate. The rostrum is not well developed and round lobate. The antirostrum is indistinct. The posterior margin is strongly pointed. The inside and outside of the otolith are flat. The otolith is thin and flat, compared to other gadidae Otoliths of gadidae, except rockling otoliths, are all very large and mostly robust otoliths.
Whiting otoliths are similar in shape as many other gadidae. However, whiting otoliths are more pointed at the posterior than other gadidae and thinner. The otolith length-width ratio is comparatively large. Blue whiting Micromesistius poutassou is more concave at the outside compared to whiting and less lobate at the margins and outside. The separation of the ostium and cauda in the sulcus on blue whiting is not clear, the sulcus is straight. Cod Gadus morhua and haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus are concave and more lobate at the outside compared to whiting otoliths. Otoliths of Trisopterus spp. are thicker and more lobate at the outside. Otoliths of Pollachius spp. are more concave on the outside. These otoliths are not only strongly curved from the anterior to the posterior but also from the ventral to the dorsal side. The sulcus of Pollachius otoliths is wider than in whiting otoliths. Otoliths of tadpole-fish Raniceps raninus have a sulcus in which the ostium and cauda are completely separated. Tadpole-fish otoliths are also flat, but have one strongly protruding lobe on the outside of the otolith.
In eroded otoliths the sulcus is less clear and the margins are smoothed. The outside remains lobate. The posterior end remains pointed, but otoliths that have gone through the digestive tract of an animal often have the point broken off.
On otoliths of juvenile whiting the sulcus is indistinct. The margins and outside are already slightly lobate.

Fish length and distribution
Whiting can grow up to 70 cm. Whiting is a common demersal fish (MERLMERL.TIF) that is found in inshore waters up to 100 m depth. It spawns in spring in shallow water (Wheeler, 1978, Nijssen and De Groot, 1987, Witte et al., 1991, Knijn et al., 1993, Muus et al., 1999).
Whiting is a very common fish found in the NE Atlantic, North Sea and Baltic.

Sample origin
Fyke and Southern North Sea.

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