Species and Habitat Outlines

Pacific Halibut
TAXONOMY

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Osteichthyes
Order: Pleuronectiformes
Family: Pleuronectidae

 

ECOLOGICAL DATA

Distribution: shallow and deep water along B.C. coast; main concentrations off north coast.

Habitat: usually in deep water (40-200 m); spawn in Dec to Feb in water 275-412 m deep; eggs are pelagic, occurring between 100 and 200 m; eggs and larvae pelagic for 4-5 months; larvae (8-15 mm long) mostly found 100-200 m, and rise in water column to 100 m after 3-5 months; eggs and larvae drift westward with current to Bearing Sea; and move eastward as juveniles (less than 7 yr); in May or June begin benthic existence at 2-3 cm; reside in shallow inshore for 1-3 yr, until 40-50 cm; immature halibut make restricted feeding migrations, but adults make extensive spawning migrations.

Tidal elevation: subtidal to 1100 m.

Food: benthic feeder; larvae prey on plankton; juveniles eat shrimp and fish (e.g.sand lance); adults take fish (e.g. herring, sand lance, cod, flatfish), crabs and octopus.

Predators: most predation occurs on larvae and juveniles, salmon and sablefish; sea lion, seals and killer whales may take adults.

GROWTH RATE

Largest flatfish; maximum recorded size, 267 cm and 225 kg; may live to over 40 yr; males sexually mature at 8 yr and females at 8-16 yr; at 5-7 yr enter commercial fishery.

FISHERY

Major commercial fishery, 4,231 t valued at $18.9 million in 1986; Native fishery.

REFERENCES

Anon. 1973. Pacific halibut. Fish. Fact Sheet, Fish. Mar. Serv. Pac. Biol. Sta., Nanaimo: 2 p.

Anon. 1987. The Pacific halibut: biology, fishery, and management. Int. Pac. Halibut Comm. Tech. Rep. 22: 59 p.

Best, E.A., and G. St-Pierre. 1986. Pacific halibut as predator and prey. Int. Pac. Halibut Comm. Tech. Rep. 21: 27 p.

Hart, J.L. 1973. Pacific fishes of Canada. Fish. Res. Board Can. Bull. 180: 614-616.

Lamb, A., and P. Edgell. 1986. Coastal fishes of the Pacific Northwest. Harbour Publishing, Madeira Park, B.C.: 201.

Skud, B.E. 1977. Drift, migration, and intermingling of Pacific halibut stocks. Int. Pac. Halibut Comm. Sci. Rep. 63: 42 p.

 

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