During snorkelling near Frøya, central Norway, on 6 October 2025, a pair of adult lumpsuckers (Cyclopterus lumpus) was observed engaged in apparent prespawning behaviour in shallow kelp habitat. Such activity is surprising, as the species is mainly considered a spring spawner throughout the eastern Atlantic and is the focus of a targeted fishery during this period. Recent genomic work has identified a small, genetically distinct autumn-spawning component in Norway. This observation provides rare behavioural support for that phenomenon, highlights its potential ecological relevance and proposes working hypothesis for future scientific studies.
Henriksen et al. (Tue,) studied this question.