Editing Capelin (section)

== Capelin migration ==

[[File:Capelin-iceland.svg|thumb|220px|left|'''Migration of Icelandic capelin'''<br />'''Green shade:''' Feeding area of adults<br />'''Blue shade:''' Distribution of juveniles<br />'''Green arrows:''' Feeding migrations<br />'''Blue arrows:''' Return migrations<br />'''Red shade and Red arrows:'''  Spawning migrations, main [[spawn (biology)|spawning grounds]] and [[larval]] drift routes]]

[[File:Puffin with capelin.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Atlantic puffin]] with capelin in its mouth]]

Capelin populations in the [[Barents Sea]] and around [[Iceland]] perform extensive seasonal [[Fish migration|migrations]]. Barents Sea capelin migrate during winter and early spring to the coast of northern Norway ([[Finnmark]]) and the [[Kola Peninsula]] (Russia) for spawning. During summer and autumn, capelin migrate north- and north-eastward for feeding.<ref name="Gjøsæter 1998">{{Cite journal |volume=83 |pages=453–496 |last=Gjøsæter|first=H. |title=The population biology and exploitation of capelin (''Mallotus villosus'') in the Barents Sea |journal=Sarsia |year=1998 |issue=6 |doi=10.1080/00364827.1998.10420445}}</ref>

Icelandic capelin move inshore in large [[Shoaling and schooling|schools]] to [[spawn (biology)|spawn]] and migrate in spring and summer to feed in the [[plankton]]-rich oceanic area between Iceland, [[Greenland]], and [[Jan Mayen]]. Capelin distribution and migration is linked with [[ocean current]]s and water masses. Around Iceland, maturing capelin usually undertake extensive northward feeding migrations in spring and summer, and the return migration takes place in September to November. The spawning migration starts from north of Iceland in December to January. In 2009, researchers from Iceland made an interacting particle model of the capelin stock around Iceland, successfully predicting the spawning migration route for the previous year.<ref name="Barbaro Einarsson 2009">{{Cite journal |last1=Barbaro |first1=A. |last2=Einarsson |first2=B. |last3=Birnir |first3=B. |last4=Sigurthsson |first4=S. |last5=Valdimarsson |first5=H. |last6=Palsson |first6=O. K. |last7=Sveinbjornsson |first7=S. |last8=Sigurthsson |first8=T. |doi=10.1093/icesjms/fsp067 |title=Modelling and simulations of the migration of pelagic fish |journal=ICES Journal of Marine Science |volume=66 |issue=5 |pages=826 |year=2009 |doi-access=free }}</ref>