Résumé
Stock assessments of U.S. Atlantic Wolffish Anarhichas lupus are hampered by a landings moratorium and low catches in fishery-independent surveys. Working with the commercial fishing industry, we collected hundreds of fish to overcome a lack of regionally specific life history information. Based on ages from sectioned otoliths, Atlantic Wolffish are long lived (maximum observed age: males = 31 years, females = 29 years). A Gompertz growth model showed that Atlantic Wolffish exhibit dimorphic growth—with larger males across all ages on average. Preliminary estimates of total mortality ranged from 0.15 to 0.21 and were lower than an estimate measured at the beginning of the moratorium. Based on gonad histology, a cohort of vitellogenic oocytes emerged in mature females by April and developed group synchronously to ovulate primarily in October. Skip spawning, which accounts for nonannual spawning, was observed in 5.6% of the mature females. Accounting for abortive maturation, a physiological event that delays functional maturation, improved precision and reduced bias of maturity estimates. The resulting median length at functional maturity was 53 cm total length (95% confidence interval = 49–56 cm), and the median age was 6.7 years old (6.2–7.2 years). These estimates are smaller and younger than elsewhere in the western North Atlantic Ocean, confirming that regionally specific maturity parameters are relevant when assessing reference points of the U.S. Atlantic Wolffish fishery.
| Langue d'origine | English |
|---|---|
| Numéro d'article | e10222 |
| Journal | Marine and Coastal Fisheries |
| Volume | 14 |
| Numéro de publication | 5 |
| DOI | |
| Statut de publication | Published - oct. 2022 |
Note bibliographique
Funding Information:We begin by thanking our cooperative New Hampshire fishing partners: Captains J. Ford, FV Lisa Ann III; G. Glidden, FV Last Penny; E. Anderson, FV Kris & Kev; P. Flanigan, FV Wendy Lee; and D. Frampton, FV Vivian Mae, as well as others involved in the Northeast Cooperative Research Study Fleet over several years; their participation not only increased sample sizes but also the seasonal coverage. We also appreciate those at-sea scientists aboard these cooperating boats, particularly J. Dufresne, G. Gianesin, J. Rackovan, and D. St. Amand, as well as those aboard the NMFS–NEFSC's bottom trawl survey and bottom longline survey. D. McElroy and E. Tholke assisted with handling and processing fish gonads, and M. Wuenschel provided helpful advice in histology evaluation and data analysis. E. Koob and C. Farrell helped with aging the otoliths. A letter of acknowledgement was obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for collection of Atlantic Wolffish on dedicated bottom trawl surveys in federal waters, and a research permit was obtained from the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary to conduct research activities on Stellwagen Bank. A scientific collecting permit was obtained from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department that allowed lobstermen to land incidentally caught Atlantic Wolffish in New Hampshire state waters. The UNH Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee reviewed and approved this study (IACUC protocol number 170201). This project was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Saltonstall–Kennedy Grant Program (grant 16GAR023). The data underlying this article will be shared on reasonable request to the corresponding author. There is no conflict of interest declared in this article.
Funding Information:
We begin by thanking our cooperative New Hampshire fishing partners: Captains J. Ford, FV ; G. Glidden, FV ; E. Anderson, FV ; P. Flanigan, FV ; and D. Frampton, FV , as well as others involved in the Northeast Cooperative Research Study Fleet over several years; their participation not only increased sample sizes but also the seasonal coverage. We also appreciate those at‐sea scientists aboard these cooperating boats, particularly J. Dufresne, G. Gianesin, J. Rackovan, and D. St. Amand, as well as those aboard the NMFS–NEFSC's bottom trawl survey and bottom longline survey. D. McElroy and E. Tholke assisted with handling and processing fish gonads, and M. Wuenschel provided helpful advice in histology evaluation and data analysis. E. Koob and C. Farrell helped with aging the otoliths. A letter of acknowledgement was obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for collection of Atlantic Wolffish on dedicated bottom trawl surveys in federal waters, and a research permit was obtained from the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary to conduct research activities on Stellwagen Bank. A scientific collecting permit was obtained from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department that allowed lobstermen to land incidentally caught Atlantic Wolffish in New Hampshire state waters. The UNH Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee reviewed and approved this study (IACUC protocol number 170201). This project was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Saltonstall–Kennedy Grant Program (grant 16GAR023). The data underlying this article will be shared on reasonable request to the corresponding author. There is no conflict of interest declared in this article. Lisa Ann III Last Penny Kris & Kev Wendy Lee Vivian Mae
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors. Marine and Coastal Fisheries published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Fisheries Society. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Aquatic Science
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