| A better knowledge and monitoring of principal commercial fish spawning grounds have become necessary in the North Sea. The efficiency of CUFES was proved by sampling pelagic fish eggs in winter in Eastern Channel and Southern North Sea. Fish egg taxonomic identification based on visual criteria cannot always be carried out effectively. In particular, cod (Gadus morhua), and whiting (Merlangius merlangus) or flounder (Platichthys flesus) and dab (Limanda limanda) have the same range of egg diameter and similar morphologies. Alternative identification methods using molecular techniques were developed to improve the accuracy of egg taxonomic identification. First, PCR-RFLP method, then, in order to accelerate egg identification, the use of a new laboratory... |
