A first glimpse of larval ecology of halibut species in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada

Knowledge of the larval ecology of winter‐spawning fish from the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada, remains scarce due to the seasonal ice cover that prevents ichthyoplankton sampling using conventional methods. Two winter‐spawning species, Atlantic halibut (AH, Hippoglossus hippoglossus) and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of fish biology 2023-03, Vol.102 (3), p.712-717
Main Authors: Ghinter, Léopold, Anderson, Christophe, Robert, Dominique, Winkler, Gesche, Bernatchez, Louis, Audet, Céline
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal Distribution
Animals
Atlantic halibut
Body Size
Canada
DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic
Ecology
Estuaries
Estuarine dynamics
Fish
Fisheries
Flounder - genetics
Flounder - physiology
Greenland halibut
Halibut
Ice cover
Ichthyoplankton
Larvae
larval distribution
larval ecology
Marine fishes
Reinhardtius hippoglossoides
Reproduction
Spawning
spawning ground
Spawning grounds
Species Specificity
Stocks
Sustainability management
Winter
winter ecology
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Summary:Knowledge of the larval ecology of winter‐spawning fish from the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada, remains scarce due to the seasonal ice cover that prevents ichthyoplankton sampling using conventional methods. Two winter‐spawning species, Atlantic halibut (AH, Hippoglossus hippoglossus) and Greenland halibut (GH, Reinhardtius hippoglossoides), support the most important groundfish fisheries of this area. In March 2020, the authors captured 10 halibut larvae ranging in size from 5 to 14 mm during an opportunistic survey in the GSL onboard an icebreaking vessel. Of these, eight were AH and two GH. Judging by their very small size, the larvae were only a few days old, suggesting that the spawning grounds are close to the capture sites. This effort constitutes a first step in validating the putative spawning areas for these two important GSL stocks. This knowledge is important for the conservation and sustainable management of these fisheries.
ISSN:0022-1112
1095-8649
DOI:10.1111/jfb.15298