Abstract
The polar cod were common in catches with bottom and pelagic trawl in Spitsbergen coastal waters. O-group polar cod were found in the upper echo-layers (15–80 m), while adults were confined to the deeper layers. A size/depth segregation was noted in the bottom layers with smaller individuals occurring mostly in the shallower areas and larger ones at greater depths. In general, pelagic hauls were dominated by fish smaller than 10 cm. Polar cod from Spitsbergen coastal waters were generally smaller and apparently grew more slowly than their counterparts in the central and eastern Barents Sea.
