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.