Sablefish
Anoplopoma fimbria

Where do sablefish live?

Sablefish live in the North Pacific Ocean, the Bering Sea, and adjacent waters from Hokkaido, Japan to Baja California, Mexico, with the greatest abundance in the Gulf of Alaska. Adult sablefish occur along the continental slope, shelf gullies, and in deep fjords commonly in depths between 200 m and 1,000 m (656 and 3,280 feet).

What do sablefish eat?

Adult sablefish are opportunistic feeders, preying on fish (including pollock, eulachon, capelin, herring, sandlance, and Pacific cod) squid, krill, and jellyfish. Yearling sablefish primarily feed on krill.

How do sablefish reproduce?

When females are about 6.5 years and males about 5 years old, spawning takes place around 300 to 500 m near the edge of the continental slope. The larvae drift inshore at the end of the first summer and spend the next year there. In the first year young sablefish will have grown to about 30-40 cm and will begin moving slowly offshore, towards their adult habitat, which is reached when they are 4 to 5 years old.