Kattegat

Water type: Bay
Connection to the ocean: North Sea -> Atlantic Ocean
Continent: Europe
Climate: Temperate

Largest tributaries

Acipenseriformes - Sturgeons and Paddlefish

Syngnathiformes - Pipefishes and Seahorses

Anguilliformes - Eels and morays

Salmoniformes - Salmons and Trouts

Moroniformes - Temperate basses

Mugiliformes - Mullets

Clupeiformes - Herrings

Perciformes - Perches

Spariformes - Breams and porgies

Beloniformes - Needlefishes

Labriformes - Wrasses

Scombriformes - Mackerels

Scorpaeniformes - Mail-cheeked fishes

Gadiformes - Cods

Mulliformes - Goatfishes

Gobiiformes - Gobies

Carangiformes - Jacks

Pleuronectiformes - Flatfishes

Trachiniformes - Weeverfishes

Aulopiformes - Grinners

Blenniiformes - Blennies

Lamniformes - Mackerel sharks

Carcharhiniformes - Ground sharks

Torpediniformes - Electric rays

Rajiformes - Skates and rays

Orectolobiformes - Carpet shark

Osmeriformes - Smelts

Chimaeriformes - Chimaeras

Squatiniformes - Angelsharks

Hexanchiformes - Six-gill sharks

Rhinopristiformes - Shovelnose rays

Myxiniformes - Hagfishes

Myliobatiformes - Stingrays

Zeiformes - Dories

Tetraodontiformes - Puffers and filefishes

Dactylopteriformes - Flying gurnards

Lampriformes - Lamprids

Squaliformes - Sleeper and dogfish sharks

Lophiiformes - Anglerfishes

Acanthuriformes - Surgeonfishes

Cyprinodontiformes - Toothcarps

Notacanthiformes - Spiny eels

Saccopharyngiformes - Swallowers and Gulpers

Argentiniformes - Marine smelts

Myctophiformes - Lanternfishes

Beryciformes - Sawbellies

Ophidiiformes - Cusk-eels

Acropomatiformes - Oceanic basses

Atheriniformes - Silversides

Callionymiformes - Dragonets

Gasterosteiformes - Sticklebacks

The Kattegat is a 30,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi) sea area bounded by the Jutlandic peninsula in the west, the Danish Straits islands of Denmark and the Baltic Sea to the south and the provinces of Bohuslän, Västergötland, Halland and Skåne in Sweden in the east. The Baltic Sea drains into the Kattegat through the Danish Straits. The sea area is a continuation of the Skagerrak and may be seen as a bay of the North Sea, but in traditional Scandinavian usage, this is not the case.

The Kattegat is a rather shallow sea and can be very difficult and dangerous to navigate because of the many sandy and stony reefs and tricky currents, which often shift. In modern times, artificial seabed channels have been dug, many reefs have been dredged by either sand pumping or stone fishing,[clarification needed] and a well-developed light signaling network has been installed, to safeguard the very heavy international traffic of this small sea.

There are several large cities and major ports in the Kattegat, including, in descending size, Gothenburg, Aarhus, Aalborg, Halmstad and Frederikshavn.

Major waterways that drain into the Kattegat are the rivers of Göta älv at Gothenburg, together with the Lagan, Nissan, Ätran and Viskan in the province of Halland on the Swedish side, and the river of Gudenå in Jutland, in Denmark.

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