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Resource Ecology & Fisheries Management (REFM) Division

AFSC Quarterly
Research Reports
July-Aug-Sept 2008
Contents
Feature
ABL Reports
FMA Reports
HEPR Reports
NMML Reports
RACE Reports
REFM Reports
Items
Quarterly Index
Quarterly Home

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         

 

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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