SIZE :
From 13 cm to 20 cm, up to 25 cm, weight from 40 g to 45 g.
LIFE EXPECTANCY :
Up to 5 years.
LIFE CYCLE :
Sexual maturity around 3 years.
In spring, the adults form large, tightly packed schools and start their migration to the spawning grounds. The males arrive first on the coast and are then joined by the females.
Between April and July, usually at night, capelin “roll” along beaches and sandy bottoms. To reproduce, the male clings to the female, which contains between 6,000 and 12,000 eggs. Together, they dig the sand and deposit the eggs. Thanks to a sticky protective substance, the eggs remain on the sand until they hatch 15 to 20 days later.
After breeding, most capelin die of exhaustion or injuries sustained during mating.