Resource Ecology & Fisheries Management (REFM) Division
Age & Growth Program
Estimated production figures for 1 January
through 30 September 2008. Total production
figures were 28,409 with 7,726 test ages and
268 examined and determined to be unageable. |
Species |
Specimens
Aged |
Alaska skate |
111 |
Flathead sole |
2,859 |
Rex sole |
596 |
Alaska plaice |
339 |
Dover sole |
371 |
Northern rock sole |
465 |
Yellowfin sole |
1,272 |
Bering flounder |
58 |
Kamchatka flounder |
112 |
Walleye pollock |
11,824 |
Sablefish |
2,327 |
Atka mackerel |
1,125 |
Pacific ocean perch |
1,983 |
Northern rockfish |
535 |
Rougheye rockfish |
1,015 |
Shortraker rockfish |
690 |
Dusky rockfish |
861 |
Quillback rockfish |
41 |
Warty sculpin |
683 |
Plain sculpin |
780 |
Bigmouth sculpin |
90 |
Yellow Irish lord |
272 |
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Validation of Dover Sole Ages
Dover sole (Microstomus pacificus) is a deepwater flatfish caught commercially from Southern California through the Gulf of Alaska. Dover sole can be very difficult to age, and the ages using the break-and-burn method have never been validated.
The Age and Growth Program has recently completed a bomb carbon (C-14) age validation of Dover sole, which validated ages from 8 to 47 years. This age validation study (Kastelle et al.) has been published in the October issue of Fishery Bulletin. Although this paper generally validates ages for Dover sole having clear growth patterns, there will always be many specimens having growth patterns that are difficult to age. (See the Age Reading Demonstration program (ARD) on the age and growth website at http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/REFM/Age/interactive.htm for examples of Dover sole otoliths that are both easy and difficult to age.).
Nevertheless, this study is an important advancement in our knowledge of the life history of Dover sole.
By Dan Kimura
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