Guide to the Marine Sport Fishes of Atlantic Canada and New England 9781487571818

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Guide to the Marine Sport Fishes of Atlantic Canada and New England

Atlantic Canada and northern New England have a great diversity of fishes providing both food and sport. Their waters are home to more than 6oo kinds of fishes, of which 70 are of sporting, culinary, or bait-fish interest. Brian W. Coad provides a convenient and comprehensive guide to these fishes. The main part of the book explains in detail how to identify the various species. Elsewhere Coad discusses fish habits and distribution, structure and biology, some principles of oceanography, and the impact of pollution on fish. He explains common angling methods and knot tying, and explores aspects of the commercial fishery and fish farming. He describes taxidermy and other techniques of recording the catch, as well as buying, storing, and preparing fish for food - even how to make caviar. A summary of sources useful to anglers contains information on books and periodicals, licences and regulations, travel and maps, tides, charts, and weather reports, boats and deep-sea fishing, and scuba diving and snorkelling. A glossary of terms, a bilingual Canadian fishing lexicon, metric conversions, and an index help make this book indispensable to all sport fishers throughout the east coast of Canada and the northern United States.

w. COAD is Curator of Fishes at the Canadian Museum of Nature. He has published numerous books and articles on fishes.

BRIAN

For Sylvie and Nicholas

Guide to the

Marine Sport Fishes of Atlantic Canada and New England Brian W. Coad

Canadian Museum of Nature Published by University of Toronto Press Toronto Buffalo London

© 1992, Canadian Museum of Nature

Printed in Canada Reprinted in 2018

ISBN o-8o20-5875-2 (cloth) ISBN 978-0-8020-6798-2 (paper)

Printed on acid-free paper

Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data Coad, Brian W. Guide to the marine sport fishes of Atlantic Canada and New England Co-published by the Canadian Museum of Nature. ISBN o-8o20-5875-2 (bound) ISBN 978-0-8020-6798-2 (paper) 1. Marine fishes - Atlantic Coast (Canada) Guidebooks. 2. Fishes - Atlantic Coast (Canada) Guidebooks. 3. Marine fishes - New England Guidebooks. 4. Fishes - New England - Guidebooks. I. Canadian Museum of Nature. II. Title.

597.092'145

c92-093949-x

Contents

Acknowledgments ix The angler's personal catch record xi BACKGROUND INFORMATION Purpose of the book 1 Format of family and species accounts 3 Structure of fishes 6 Biology of fishes 17 How to identify fishes Preserving fishes for identification 23

22

1

Dangerous fishes 24 Pollution 28 Oceanography 33 Commercial fisheries 39 History 50 Fish farming 55

FAMILY AND SPECIES ACCOUNTS 59 Dogfish shark family (Squalidae) 61 Greenland shark 61 Spiny dogfish 63 Mackerel shark family (Lamnidae) 66 Great white shark 66 Porbeagle 70 Requiem shark family (Carcharhinidae) 72 Blue shark 72 Skate family (Rajidae) 74 Bamdoor skate 75 Little skate 75

Smooth skate 76 Thorny skate 77 Winter skate 79 Sturgeon family (Acipenseridae) 8o Atlantic sturgeon 81 Herring family (Clupeidae) 83 American shad 84 Atlantic herring 86 Blueback herring 89 Gaspereau 91 Argentine family (Argentinidae) 93 Atlantic argentine 93 V

Freshwater eel family (Anguillidae) 95 American eel 96 Salmon family (Salmonidae) 100 Arctic charr 102 Atlantic salmon 105 Brook charr 111 Brown trout 113 Coho salmon 115 Pink salmon 117 Rainbow trout 119 Smelt family (Osmeridae) 121 Capelin 122 Rainbow smelt 125 Cod family (Gadidae) 127 Arctic cod 128 Atlantic cod 130 Atlantic tomcod 134 Cusk 136 Haddock 138 Ogac 140 Pollock 142 Red hake 144 White hake 147 Hake family (Merlucciidae) 149 Silver hake 150 Grenadier family (Macrouridae) 152 Rock grenadier 152 Saury family (Scomberesocidae) 153 Atlantic saury 154 Killifish family (Fundulidae) 156 Mummichog 156 Silverside family (Atherinidae) 158 Atlantic silverside 158 Temperate bass family (Percichthyidae) 159 Striped bass 16o vi

White perch 162 Bluefish family (Pomatomidae) 164 Bluefish 164 Wrasse family (Labridae) 166 Cunner 167 Tautog 169 Wolffish family (Anarhichadidae) 170 Atlantic wolffish 171 Eelpout family (Zoarcidae) 175 Ocean pout 175 Mackerel family (Scombridae) 177 Atlantic bonito 178 Atlantic mackerel 179 Bluefin tuna 183 Swordfish family (Xiphiidae) 187 Swordfish 187 Butterfish family (Stromateidae) 191 Butterfish 192 Scorpionfish family (Scorpaenidae) 194 Redfishes 194 Sculpin family (Cottidae) 197 Arctic sculpin 198 Arctic staghorn sculpin 199 Grubby 199 Longhorn sculpin 200 Sea raven 201 Shorthorn sculpin 201 Lumpfish family (Cyclopteridae) 202 Lumpfish 202 Lefteye flounder family (Bothidae) 205 Summer flounder 2o6 Windowpane 207 Righteye flounder family (Pleuronectidae) 209 Atlantic halibut 210

Yellowtail flounder Goosefish family (Lophiidae) 225 Monkfish 226

Canadian plaice 212 Greenland halibut 215 Smooth flounder 217 Winter flounder 218 Witch flounder 221

Appendix

1.

223

Recording the catch 231

Taxidermy 232 Fish prints 233 Appendix 2. Useful skills 237

Knot tying 237 Safety and life-saving techniques 240 Appendix 3. Fish as food 244

Buying, storing, and preparing fish 244 Recipes 246 Smoking fish and making caviar 251 Appendix 4. Other information useful to the angler 255

Books and periodicals on fishes 255 Licences and regulations 265 Travel and maps 266 Tides, charts, and weather reports 267 Boats and deep-sea fishing 271 Scuba diving and snorkelling 271 Glossary of terms used in this book 273 Bilingual Canadian fishing lexicon 287 Metric conversions 293 Index 297

vii

Acknowledgments

I should like to thank Dr Don E. McAllister, Research Curator, Canadian Museum of Nature, who first suggested that I should write this book and who made many useful comments on the manuscript. Several other people have had the patience to plough through the first draft or portions of the manuscript and offer their kind and not-so-kind comments. In particular, these include my wife, Sylvie, and Anne Rimmer. Two reviewers made a number of useful comments and added personal experience notes. Any errors remain mine, though I should like it to be known that they also slid past the above. Jacqueline Lanteigne and my wife were most helpful in compiling the Lexicon. My wife was most helpful in putting together recipes, a skill I do not possess or at least do not admit possessing. The recipe for shark curry was given by Noel Alfonso, Canadian Museum of Nature. The entire manuscript was typed initially by my right index finger, which withstood this numbing ordeal with fortitude. Later versions went through the more competent hands of Alison Murray. Most of the line illustrations of fishes were drawn by Charles Douglas of the Zoology Division, Canadian Museum of Nature, and the remaining line drawings by Susan Laurie-Bourque: A number of colleagues and friends provided slides, photographs, and recommendations for other sources of illustrations. The following are acknowledged in particular: Don E. McAllister, Canadian Museum of Nature, and G. Power, University of Waterloo, gave permission for the use of Linn-Tarn Print's gyotaku; Susan Corning and Wade Marshall of the Nova Scotia Department of Tourism and Culture, Halifax, provided slides of large tuna; Bob Semple, Waverly, Nova Scotia, selected slides of the hooked trout, wolffish close-up, diver with monkfish, and diver with tuna from his collection; Jack Woolner, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts,

ix

very kindly took the trouble to make black-and-white prints from his colour negatives of the great white shark from Prince Edward Island; David Methven, Ocean Sciences Centre, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, provided the slide of a red hake in a scallop shell; Jim Gourlay, James-Stone House Publications Limited, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, provided the slide of a striped bass; Gilbert Caron, Communications, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ottawa, arranged for a series of slides to be made into prints; R. John Gibson, St John's, Newfoundland, provided the slide of a salmon with rod and flies; and Frank Cunningham, Biological Station, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, St Andrews, New Brunswick, submitted slides of harvesting tuna and a swordfish.

X

The angler's personal catch record A record of species caught; tick those you have captured and record date, place, and size.

great white shark _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ porbeagle _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ blue shark _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Greenland shark _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ spiny dogfish _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ little skate _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ barndoor skate _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ winter skate _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ thorny skate _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Atlantic sturgeon _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ blueback herring _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ gaspereau _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ American shad _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Atlantic herring _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ American eel _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ pink salmon _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ coho salmon _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ rainbow trout _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Atlantic salmon _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ brown trout _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

xi

Arctic charr _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ brook charr _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ capelin _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ rainbow smelt _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Atlantic cod _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ ogac _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ haddock _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Atlantic tomcod _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ pollock _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ red hake _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ white hake _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ silver hake _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Atlantic saury _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ white perch _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ striped bass _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ bluefish _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ tautog _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ cunner _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Atlantic wolffish _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ ocean pout _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Atlantic bonito _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Atlantic mackerel _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ bluefin tuna _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ swordfish _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ butterfish _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ redfish _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Arctic staghom sculpin _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

xii

sea raven _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ grubby _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ longhorn sculpin _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Arctic sculpin _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ shorthorn sculpin _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ lumpfish _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ windowpane _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ witch flounder _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Canadian plaice _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Atlantic halibut _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ yellowtail flounder _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ smooth flounder _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ winter flounder _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ monkfish _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

xiii

Background information

Purpose of the book Atlantic Canada and northern New England have a great diversity of fishes providing both food and sport. There are over 6oo different kinds of fishes, of which 70 are of sporting, culinary, or bait-fish interest and are dealt with here in some detail. This book is meant to provide a convenient guide for identifying such fishes. As well it gives some details of fish habits and distribution, common angling methods, and the commercial fishery. Other sections describe general fish structure, fish biology, how to identify fish, preserving fishes for identification, dangerous fishes, pollution, oceanography, the commercial fisheries and offshore species, history, fish farming, taxidermy, fish prints, knot tying, buying, storing, and preparing fish, recipes, smoking fish and making caviar, and last but not least, safety and life-saving techniques. A summary of sources useful to anglers contains information on books and periodicals; licences and regulations; travel and maps; tides, charts, and weather reports; boats and deep-sea fishing; and scuba diving and snorkelling. There is a glossary of terms used in this book, a bilingual Canadian fishing lexicon, metric conversions, and an index. The choice of fishes to include in a book such as this is somewhat arbitrary. Common sport fishes must be included, as must those which are rarer, perhaps summer visitors to the area from warmer waters to the south, but of such angling fame as to warrant mention. Sport fishes which are very rare in these waters, where only a few specimens have ever been caught, are omitted. The chance that an angler would encounter such a species as the skipjack tuna, a popular sport fish in the southern United States, is remote. Some of the species described here are not caught on

1

\

I

I

\

\

\

\

\

\

\

\ . The brook charr, Salvelinus fontinalis. In: Balon, E.K. (Ed.). Charrs, Salmonid Fishes of the Genus Salvelinus, p. 141-203. Dr. W. Junk, The Hague. 928 pp. Vladykov, V.D. 1953. Truite mouchetee / Speckled Trout. Poissons du Quebec/Fishes of Quebec, Departement des Pecheries / Department of Fisheries, Quebec, Album Numero 1:6 p. The biology and fishery of the brook charr in Quebec.

BROWN TROUT Truite brune Salmo trutta Linnaeus, 1758

113

Other names. Salmon trout, sea trout, salter, brownie, European or English brown trout, spotted trout, liberty trout, German brown trout, Von Behr trout, breac, gealag. Identification. The brown trout may be distinguished from Pacific salmons (pink and coho) by having fewer anal rays (9-12) and from the charrs (Salvelinus species) by lacking a white leading edge to the pelvic and anal fins, by black spots on the head and body rather than light spots, and by relatively large scales. It is separated from the rainbow trout by not having rows of black spots on the tail fin or a black margin to the adipose fin. The Atlantic salmon has no rust-red on the adipose fin, a shorter maxillary than in the brown trout, only a few large spots on the gill cover instead of many small ones, and teeth on the roof of the mouth which are not as well developed as in the brown trout. Colour. The back is brown, the sides silvery, and the belly white to yellowish. Small black spots and crosses are found on the back and top of the head and large black spots, sometimes with a halo, are found below the lateral line and on the gill covers. Pink or red spots are also present on the flank and this is the only family member with both dark and light flank spots. The haloes are usually absent in sea-run fish. Young have 7-14 parr marks. Distribution. This European fish has been introduced to most Canadian provinces and to New England states, and sea-run fish are known from Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland. Size. Brown trout may reach 12.8 kg in Newfoundland, but 2.3-3.2 kg is more usual. The world-record rod-caught fish from Argentina, caught in 1952, weighed 16.3 kg. A 17.78 kg fish 102.9 cm long has been caught in Scotland. The largest fish approach 1.5 m and 51 kg. Biology. In the sea, brown trout stay close to river mouths; they enter fresh water to spawn from mid- to late fall to midwinter. The migration to the sea takes place in April-June and the return to fresh water is after 2-4 months or after one or more winters. Sea life may involve extensive movements, and fish often stray from their birth rivers. Eggs number about 1500 per kg of body weight, and repeat spawning occurs in subsequent years. Females excavate a shallow redd, and eggs and sperm are deposited many

114

times before the female covers it with gravel. Males develop a hooked jaw as in salmon. Brown trout may live to 14 years and spend up to 9 years in the sea. Their food includes shrimps and small fishes such as sand lance, silversides, and mummichogs.

Fishery. There is no commercial fishery. Anglers may catch this fish in estuaries using lures and streamer-type flies. The Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland has sea-run brown trout up to 9 kg. The flesh is pink from the pigment in its crustacean food.

COHO SALMON Saumon coho Oncorhynchus kisutch (Walbaum, 1792)

Other names. Silver salmon, sea trout, blueback, hooknose, silverside. Identification. The high anal fin ray count (usually 13-19 principal rays) separates this species from all other Atlantic salmonids except the pink salmon. The coho has spots on the back and upper lobe of the tail fin but the largest is as large as the pupil rather than the whole eye. There are fewer than 150 scales in the row above the lateral line and gill rakers are also fewer, 18-25, than in the pink, which has 24-35. Breeding males develop the characteristic hook, but this is not as marked as in other Pacific salmons. Colour. Adults are a metallic blue or greenish on the back with silvery flanks and a white belly. A red stripe develops on the side of breeding males and the belly becomes grey to black. The young

115

have 8-12 parr marks, which are narrow and well spaced from one another. Distribution. A Pacific coast salmon which has been introduced to US waters on the Atlantic coast and to the Great Lakes. Strays are reported from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Quebec. Size. Up to 1.o8 m and 17.7 kg. The world-record rod-caught coho from the Salmon River, New York, weighed 15.o8 kg. Biology. The biology of this species in the Atlantic is assumed to be similar to that of Pacific populations. Food in the sea includes salmon, herring, sand lances, squids, and crustaceans. The spawning migration from the sea is later than for the pink salmon and is prolonged. Spawning occurs in October-January on the Pacific coast. An oval redd is excavated by the female, and she spawns with a dominant male although smaller males may sneak in and release sperm. The female may lay eggs in up to 4 different redds. The eggs are covered with gravel. They number up to 5700 and are large, like those of pink salmon. The female guards the nest but dies soon after spawning. Fry emerge in April. Most coho spend two summers at sea and return to spawn in fresh water at age 3-5, having spent longer in fresh water than pink salmon. Fishery. Coho have been caught in Maritime Canada, probably escapees from sea-ranching experiments in Canada and Maine or state stocking programs in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, although some may be strays from Lake Ontario. Various plugs, spoons, large flies, and herring strips will take coho, which fight strongly and leap dramatically. Many anglers express concern that this introduced species will compete with native Atlantic salmon and oppose further transplants. Literature Williams, T. 198o. Exotic cohos versus Atlantic salmon. Atlantic Salmon Journal, 29(4):20-23. A discussion of the problems attendant on transplanting species.

116

PINK SALMON Saumon rose Oncorhynchus gorbuscha (Walbaum, 1792)

Other names. Humpback salmon, autumn salmon. Identification. The two introduced Pacific salmons in the genus

Oncorhynchus may be distinguished from the Atlantic salmon,

trouts, and charrs by their 13-19 principal anal fin rays rather than 7-12. The pink salmon is distinguished from the coho by having spots on the back and tail fin as large as the eye instead of smaller, small scales (usually more than 150 in the row above the lateral line), and 24-35 gill rakers instead of 18-25. The head is large, about one-fifth total length, but longer in breeding males, which develop hooks to both jaws such that the mouth cannot close. These males also have enlarged teeth, a hump before the dorsal fin, and scales that become deeply embedded. The lateral line is complete. Scales are cycloid. The adipose fin is large and the tail is broad and slightly forked.

Colour. In the sea, pink salmon are metallic blue to blue-green on the back, and the flanks are silvery and the underside white. The tail fin, adipose fin, and back have large black spots. Breeding males are darker dorsally, and the sides are pink with brown or olive-green blotches. The young have no parr marks and no spots on the fins. Distribution. A Pacific coast species first introduced to Newfoundland, unsuccessfully, in 1958 and on a number of occasions since 117

then. Also introduced to Maine in 1982 and successfully to the Great Lakes. This species has spread to Labrador, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.

Size. Up to 6.4 kg and 76 cm. The world-record rod-caught pink salmon, caught in 1974 from fresh water in Alaska, weighed 5.7 kg. Biology. The biology of this species in the Atlantic is assumed to be very similar to that in its Pacific home. A spawning migration into fresh water occurs during the summer, and spawning takes place in mid-July to late October in estuaries or streams. A redd is constructed in gravel and several males may spawn with one female. The eggs are covered and the female guards them until she dies in a few days or weeks. Eggs are large (6 mm) and may number over 2000. Pink salmon live about 2 years and spend 1.5 years in the sea. Because of this life cycle fish spawning in oddnumbered years never meet fish spawning in even-numbered years. When assessing conservation and exploitation of stocks these two groups have to be studied separately as they are effectively isolated. Food is a variety of crustaceans, fishes, squids, and molluscs while at sea. Fishery. Plantings of eggs in Newfoundland numbered 15.35 million in 1959-66 but since returns have declined in recent years the establishment of a sport fishery has been unsuccessful. Continued attempts at cage culture may result in strays being caught by anglers. They may be caught by trolling with an artificial bait. The flesh is pink (hence the name) and tasty.

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RAINBOW TROUT Truite arc-en-ciel Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum, 1792)

Other names. Steelhead (sea-run), Kamloops trout (interior British Columbia), silver trout, coast rainbow trout, half-pounder, redsides, Pacific trout. Identification. Rainbows can be distinguished from other family members by tail fin spots being in rows, the adipose fin having a black edge, the sides and adipose fin being without red spots but black-spotted, a reddish band along the flank, and the anal fin with only 7-12 principal rays. The mouth is large and extends back under the posterior edge of the eye. The tail fin is large and forked. Colour. The back is a metallic blue, the sides silvery. Black spots are present on the back and upper flanks and on the dorsal, adipose, and tail fins. These spots lack a lighter area or 'halo' around them. The pink or red band along the body is very evident in spawning males and usually absent in young and sea-run fish, which are silvery-green. The young have 5-13 widely separated parr marks along the flanks. Distribution. A Pacific coast species introduced to fresh waters of all the Atlantic provinces and states. Some of these populations, particularly in Prince Edward Island and Quebec and probably Nova Scotia, have run to sea.

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Hooked trout

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Size. Up to 1.22 m and 25.8 kg. The world-record rod-caught rainbow from Alaska in 1970 weighed 19.1 kg. Biology. Rainbows have been successfully introduced to a wide variety of waters because they can withstand pollution and high temperatures (24°C) which other salmonids cannot. The young live in fresh water, usually for 2 years but for as long as 4 years, and return to spawn in spring after 1-4 years at sea, where extensive migrations occur. Some fish (half-pounders) return to streams after a few months at sea. There is a dominant male which drives other males away from the redd excavated by the female. Two males may spawn with one female, and the female may deposit eggs in several redds. Up to 12,749 eggs have been reported from a single female. Rainbows may live to be 11 years old. Food in the sea is crustaceans, squids, and fishes. Fishery. There is no commercial fishery. The flesh is bright red or white depending on diet, and can be cooked in a variety of ways. An angler is more likely to catch rainbows in fresh than salt water. Rainbows bite more readily than brown trout and so are easier to catch. The steelhead (a sea-run rainbow) can be caught by wet flyfishing using heavier than normal trout gear. Cage culture is being carried out in Atlantic Canada, and there is some concern that steelheads will compete with Atlantic salmon.

Smelt family Famille des eperlans Osmeridae The smelt family comprises about 12 species of small, usually anadromous or marine fishes in the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans and in the Arctic Ocean. Populations of some species live entirely in fresh water. Two species are known from marine waters of Atlantic Canada and New England. These are the capelin, which is marine, and the rainbow smelt, which may be found both in the sea and in fresh water. The presence of an adipose fin is shared with fishes in the salmon family, but smelt

121

can easily be distinguished by the absence of a fleshy appendage at the origin of the pelvic fin. In addition, the origin of the pelvic fins is opposite or in front of the dorsal fin origin while in salmonids the pelvic fin is behind the dorsal fin origin. In smelts the last few vertebrae are not turned dorsally as in the salmon family. Smelts are slender fishes with small, cycloid scales, a large mouth, and an overall silvery coloration. Fresh smelt have a distinct odour, which resembles that of cucumbers (whence their name), but this is lost after freezing or preservation. Smelts are an important food for commercial species and are often used as bait by anglers.

CAPELIN Capelan

Mallotus villosus (Muller, 1776)

Other names. Caplin (Newfoundland), whitefish, angmagssat, lodna, lodde, ko le le kuk. Identification. Distinguished from the rainbow smelt by the presence of velvet-like instead of fang-like teeth on the tongue, the longer adipose fin, very small scales (about 200 along side of body instead of less than 73), projecting lower jaw, and two ridges of enlarged scales along each side of the body in spawning males (whence villosus, meaning 'hairy'). The upper ridge extends from the head to the tail, the lower from the pectoral to the pelvic fins. Females have smooth, ridgeless flanks. Pectoral and anal fins in spawning males are enlarged. 122

Colour. Olive green above the lateral line, silvery below with a silvery-white belly. Scale margins are minutely spotted, and gill covers have numerous black dots. Distribution. From Hudson Bay to Nova Scotia but most abundant off Newfoundland and Labrador, along the Quebec North Shore and Anticosti Island. Irregular in the Bay of Fundy. In the United States south occasionally to Cape Cod. Also on the Pacific coast of Canada and the United States.

0

Size. Usually 13-20 cm but may reach larger than females by 1.0-2.5 cm.

25.2

cm. Mature males are

Biology. Capelin spawn inshore, chiefly at night or under dull weather at temperatures below 10°C. In the St Lawrence estuary spawning occurs as early as April, but it is later downstream so that June is the time for the North Shore. In Labrador some spawning is as late as August. Spawning is often on sand or fine gravel beaches, where the males in particular become stranded. Spawning also occurs offshore at such places as the Grand Bank. There are usually two males flanking and holding each female with the aid of their enlarged fins and spawning ridges. The eggs stick to, and are buried in, the sand. Capelin may live to 10 years

123

but 3-4-year-olds dominate spawning schools. Capelin feed on plankton and are themselves an important food for other fish, especially the cod and salmon, and also sea birds and mammals, such as harp seals, fin and minke whales. Cod, seals, and whales annually eat 3 million tonnes of capelin in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. Fishery. Capelin are easily caught while spawning when waves of them fall onto the shore and can be scooped up with dip-nets, buckets, and even bare hands! Trap nets and purse seines are used commercially. Capelin can be eaten fresh, frozen for later use, salted and dried, or smoked; they are delicious and highly nutritious. Minor quantities have been canned in oil. They have also been used as bait in cod fishing, as dog food, and as garden fertilizer, and some are used in fish-meal and oil production. Others are sold to the Japanese roe market. Capelin are a mediumfat fish. Commercial offshore catches have been a large as 370,000 tonnes but stocks were very soon depleted and in 198o no offshore fishery was allowed. This overexploitation severely affected the survival of that charming bird, the puffin, whose diet is Bo-90% capelin. The 1988 northwest Atlantic catch weighed 109,909 tonnes.

Capelin spawning on beach, Bryant's Cove, Newfoundland

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Literature Carscadden, J.E. 1981. Capelin. Underwater World, Communications Branch, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ottawa. 8 p. Catalogue number Fs 41-33/10-1981E. Excellent short, readable summary on capelin biology. Homer, S. 1982. The quiet famine. Equinox, May /June, 42-57. The story of the puffin and its decline. Jangaard, P.M. 1974. The Capelin (Mallotus villosus): Biology, Distribution, Exploitation, Utilization, and Composition. Bulletin of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada, 186:x + 70 p. Complete scientific and technical account, including capture methods. Sparkes, S. 1988. See how caplin run. Canadian Geographic, 1o8(2): 68-70. An account of the capelin run on a Newfoundland beach.

RAINBOW SMELT Eperlan arc-en-ciel

Osmerus mordax (Mitchill, 1814)

Other names. American smelt, Atlantic smelt, saltwater smelt, freshwater smelt, Arctic smelt, leefish, sea smelt, sparling, frost fish, icefish, eperlan du nord. Identification. The rainbow smelt is distinguished from the capelin by the large fang-like teeth on the tongue, a small adipose fin free from the body like a flap, and the larger scales (at most 72 along the side of the body instead of more than 200). The lateral line is incomplete, and up to 30 scales may be pored. The head, body, and fins of males develop small tubercles during the spawning season.

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Colour. Pale or olive green to steel blue or black on the back and upper body, becoming paler on the sides, which have a distinct silvery band and purple, blue, or pinkish iridescences (hence 'rainbow'). The belly is silvery. The head and body have dusky speckles while the fins are mostly clear. Distribution. Northern regions of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and in the Arctic Ocean. In coastal waters and streams of Atlantic Canada from southern Labrador at Hamilton Inlet to Nova Scotia. Also in lakes of the Maritimes and introduced elsewhere, such as in the Great Lakes. In the United States south to New Jersey.

0

Size. Up to 35.6 cm but mostly

10-22

cm.

Biology. Rainbow smelt live in schools in coastal waters and prefer colder waters, entering estuaries in the autumn. They are anadromous and run up streams from the sea to spawn soon after ice breakup, as early as February, through to June. The timing of this run depends on the weather and the locality, but each stream usually has its run at the same time every year. Spawning occurs at night with the female flanked by two males. The eggs become attached to the stream bottom and may be so dense as to form a carpet. Each female may shed up to 93,000 eggs. Fry are carried

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downstream to brackish water. Most spawners are 2-3 years old but rainbow smelt can live up to 17 years. Females are larger and live longer than males, which die after spawning. Food items consist of a variety of small invertebrates, and larger smelt will eat some fish. Smelt are a source of food for other fishes, such as cod and salmon, and for sea birds and mammals. Fishery. A popular sport and food fish caught through the ice in

winter by anglers or by seining and dip-netting during the spawning run. Rainbow smelt was the most numerous fish caught by licensed anglers in Nova Scotia in 1980, for example. It may also be caught on an artificial fly and using marine worms, shrimps, or clams as bait. Commercial fishermen catch large numbers (as high as 2429 tonnes in 1986, for example) by mid-water trawling, in box or trap nets through the ice, or with bag nets and gill nets. A large fishery is carried out in the Miramichi estuary. Rainbow smelts are available fresh and frozen, and are used in sticks and portions. The flesh is lean and sweet but is very perishable. Even the roe is delicious. Literature McKenzie, R.A. 1964. Smelt Life History and Fishery in the Miramichi River, New Brunswick. Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Bulletin 144:iv + 77 p. Scientific account of biology and fishery in the river and the adjacent sea.

Cod family Famille des morues Gadidae The cod family comprises about 55 species. It is found in cold and temperate waters of northern seas, and there are a few species also in the southern hemisphere and one species in fresh water. Many species are fished commercially on a large scale, as they are very numerous on the banks of both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. There are 17 species in the northwest Atlantic, of which 8 are considered here. The family is made up of fishes without spines in the fins, and with small and cycloid scales, pelvic fins placed anterior to 127

the pectoral fin base, a ductless swimbladder, and large gill openings and mouth. There is a single barbel on the chin in all the species described here (although it is only present in young pollack) and there are 3 dorsal and 2 anal fins in all species except the red and white hakes. These hakes are easily recognized because their pelvic fins are reduced to 2 rays which are greatly elongated. Note that the silver hake is sometimes placed in the cod family but has only 2 dorsal fins and 1 anal fin, and there is no chin barbel. The eggs of cods float in surface waters. Literature Vladykov, V.D. 1955. Morues/Cods. Poissons du Quebec / Fishes of Quebec. Departement des Pecheries / Department of Fisheries, Quebec, Album Numero 4:12 p. The biology of Atlantic cod and Atlantic tomcod in Quebec.

ARCTIC COD Saida franc Boreogadus saida (Lepechin, 1774)

Other names. Arctic tomcod, polar cod. Identification. This species is distinguished from other typical cods with 3 dorsal and 2 anal fins by the projecting lower jaw, forked tail fin, slender body, small barbel, and the non-overlapping scales. Colour. Overall colour is dark brown to black, fading to silvery below. The upper sides may have violet or yellowish tinges. Fins are dusky with lighter edges.

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Distribution. Circumpolar in Arctic waters and south in the western Atlantic to the Gulf of St Lawrence and the Grand Bank. Size. Attains 38 cm. Biology. Arctic cod are found mostly in surface waters and may be found inshore, entering river mouths. They are often caught under drifting ice, where they concentrate in crevices. Immense schools may form in a preferred temperature range of o-4°C. Food is plankton and feeding occurs in mid-water, unlike for many of its relatives. Large Arctic cod are cannibals. This fish is an important northern resource for feeding Atlantic salmon, Arctic charr, Atlantic cod, ogac, and Greenland halibut as well as sea birds, seals, whales, and polar bears. Growth off Labrador is faster than in the high Arctic, and life span is about 6 years with maturity at 2-3 years. Arctic cod are smaller in southern waters than northern ones - 10-18 cm off Newfoundland and 25-30 cm off northern Labrador. Females produce up to 21,000 eggs under ice near the sea bed in January-February. Fishery. Exploratory fishery surveys take this species with otter trawls at 100-250 m and water temperatures of -1.4 to o.6°C off northern Labrador and at 200-300 m and -1.2 to 3.6°C off southern Labrador and Newfoundland. Soviet trawlers have taken

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large numbers of this cod off Canada in the capelin by-catch. There is a commercial demand for this species in the USSR but not in Canada or the United States. The sporadic occurrence of this species off Canada may inhibit the use of this fish in commercial operations and its great importance in northern food chains warrants its careful protection. The 1988 northwest Atlantic catch was 2 tonnes. Literature

Bradstreet, M.S.W., K.J. Finley, A.D. Sekerak, W.B. Griffiths, C.R. Evans, M.F. Fabijan, and H.E. Stallard. 1986. Aspects of the Biology of Arctic Cod (Boreogadus saida) and Its Importance in Arctic Marine Food Chains. Canadian Technical Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 1491:193 p. Lear, W.H. 1983. Arctic Cod. Underwater World, Communications Branch, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ottawa. 6 p. Catalogue number Fs 41-33/25-1983E.

ATLANTIC COD Morue franche Gadus morhua Linnaeus, 1758

Other names. Cod, 'fish,' codfish, codling, rock cod, tom cod, scrod, ovak, ogac, uugak, ugak, morue commune, cabillaud, fraiche.

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Identification. The Atlantic cod is distinguished from other members of the family by a well-developed chin barbel (small to absent in the pollock, small in Arctic cod), a truncate or square tail fin (forked in the pollock and the Arctic cod, rounded in the Atlantic tomcod), a projecting snout (projecting lower jaw in the pollock and Arctic cod), numerous brown to red spots on flanks and back (no spots in pollock or ogac), a rounded dorsal fin (pointed in haddock), no large black spot above the pectoral fin (present in haddock), a light-coloured lateral line (black in haddock), 3 dorsal and 2 anal fins (hakes have 2 dorsal fins and 1 anal fin), eye half the length of the snout (larger in ogac), and body cavity lining grey or silvery (black in ogac). The snout is conical and blunt, and the mouth large and extending back to the front of the eye. The teeth are small and numerous in each jaw. The lateral line is clearly visible and arched over the pectoral fin. The scales are small. Colour. Variable with the background, and possibly diet, from grey, green, or brown to red-brown with the fins the same as the body. Sides spotted red and brown. Lateral line pale. The belly is white. 'Rock cod' are small, reddish cod. Distribution. From Baffin Island and the northern tip of Labrador south through Atlantic Canada to North Carolina. Also off Green-

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land, in Ungava Bay, and in Europe. Land-locked in Ogac Lake, Baffin Island. Size. Up to about 2 m and 95.9 kg. The world-record rod-caught Atlantic cod, taken from the Isle of Shoals, New Hampshire, in 1969, weighed 44.79 kg. Biology. The Atlantic cod has been studied extensively. This species migrates widely in schools, the movements governed by temperature, food, and spawning behaviour. The Labrador coast stocks migrate north and south but do not enter the Gulf of St Lawrence, and western Gulf of St Lawrence stocks move between winter areas northeast of Cape Breton Island and summer areas off Gaspe. The longest movement recorded for a cod was about 4000 km. There is a general movement inshore in summer and offshore in winter. Cod occur over and close to sand, rock, or shell bottoms. Schools may be several kilometres long and 8-10 km wide. One school off the northeast coast of Newfoundland was 55 km long and 35 km wide, about one-third the size of Prince Edward Island. Although they are groundfish they do pursue prey to the surface. Cod spawn in both deep and shallow waters from March to December depending on locality, and each female may produce over 11 million buoyant eggs. Individuals may live up to 27 years. Rates of growth depend on temperature, so Labrador fish grow more slowly than those off Nova Scotia and Maine. Maturity is attained at 5-8 years, depending on the stock. Cod of up to about 50 cm feed on a variety of crustaceans, but after reaching this size herring, capelin, sand lance, redfishes, and other fishes predominate. Molluscs are also a favourite food. Unusual items have been found in cod stomachs, including an oilcan, rings, a rubber doll, keys, false teeth, and various rare deep-sea shells. Cod are eaten by large sharks, spiny dogfish, and other predatory fishes. Fishery. The Atlantic cod is probably the most important commercial species in the world. Wars have been fought over the fishing rights to this easily preserved and valuable food fish. Cod make up 10% of all fish caught in the world. North American stocks have been fished since the Mesolithic Age, and by Europeans for almost 500 years. In 1974 the Labrador-Newfoundland areas alone had a landed weight over 70,000 tonnes and the fishery employed about 10,000 people. Cod are caught by otter trawls, handlines, longlines, jiggers, cod traps, seines, traps, and gill nets and are

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sold fresh, frozen, salted, smoked, and canned as flakes, fillets, and chicken haddie. Frozen fillets and fillet blocks are made into fish sticks and portions. Cod 'cheeks' (muscles on the side of the head) and 'tongues' (throat muscles) are delicacies. Even swimbladders are good eating. The cod makes an excellent table fish, the flesh being white with a mild flavour. Cod are also used in fish-meal, glue, and cod liver oil production. Roe is also available. Earrings have been made out of cod otoliths. The total allowable catch (TAC) was over half a million tonnes in 198o. About 12 stocks are recognized from Northern Labrador and West Greenland to Georges Bank and the Gulf of Maine, and the TAC of individual stocks varies from 5000 to 18o,ooo tonnes. Some stocks are stable, others depressed, and yet others rebuilding from depletion by overfishing. The average commercially caught cod weighs about 2.3 kg and is 4-8 years old. The landed value of cod in 1987 was $319,951,000. The 1988 catch for the western Atlantic weighed 642,795 tonnes, a significant portion of which, 466,400 tonnes, was Canadian. Cod are now being farmed. They are held in pens, fed capelin from June to September, and harvested from October to January when prices are high. Cod in the Saguenay Fjord caught between 1975 and 1977 were not suitable for human consumption because of a high mercury content. Anglers catch cod by jigging and deep trolling using strip baits of squid, hake, cunner, mackerel, herring, capelin, and crabs. Clams may also be used with the shells being the chum. Artificial lures have also proved successful. Literature Cameron, S.D. 1988. Almighty cod! Canadian Geographic, June/July: 33-40. Jensen, A.C. 1984. The Cod: A Saga of the Sea. Second Edition, Deep Sea Press, Inglis, Fla. 186 p. Lear, W.H. 1989. Atlantic Cod. Underwater World, Communications Branch, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ottawa. 8 p. Catalogue number Fs 41-33/38-1989E. Netboy, A. 1974. The saga of the cod. Sea Frontiers, 20(6):364-373. A popular account of cod history, biology, and fishery.

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ATLANTIC TOMCOD Poulamon atlantique Microgadus tomcod (Walbaum, 1792)

Other names. Frostfish, winter cod, snig, tommy cod, petite morue, loche, poisson des chenaux, mouroche. Identification. The Atlantic tomcod is distinguished from the other members of the family described here by its rounded, rather than square or forked, tail fin and by the second pelvic fin ray being twice as long as the other rays. The eye is smaller than in the Atlantic cod, its width entering 5.5-6.0 times in the head length (about 4 times in cod of similar size). For distinctive characters of other species, see under Atlantic cod. Colour. Varies with the background. Olive-brown with some green or yellow and extensive dark mottling on the upper flank, back, and dorsal fins. The belly is grey to yellow-white. The anal fins have olive edges. Distribution. From Hamilton Inlet in Labrador south through Maritime Canada to North Carolina. Size. Up to 42.3 cm and 0.7 kg. Biology. The tomcod is a fish of coastal waters and estuaries and may even become a permanent resident of fresh water as in Lake St John, Quebec, and Deer Lake, Newfoundland. Spawning occurs in winter during November-February when it enters rivers and up to an estimated 65,000 eggs are produced. The eggs adhere to

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rocks or weeds on the river bottom, or are found in frazil ice, and hatch after several weeks in the cold winter water (3-10 weeks depending on temperature). Food includes crustaceans, worms, hermit crabs, and small fishes such as smelt and striped bass as well as a variety of fish fry. Fishery. There are winter ice fisheries in the St Lawrence and St John rivers (hence 'frostfish') but tomcod are not used extensively for food, though they are delicious. Traps, handlines, and hoop nets are used. At Sainte-Anne-de-la-Perade, a major commercial and sport fishing town for tomcod in Quebec, the population of tomcod was estimated at goo million fish in 198o. An angler .can easily catch up to 6oo fish through the ice in an overnight fishing period. Overall catches average 50 fish per hour in each cabin, and up to 1000 cabins are set up on the ice in January. The northwest Atlantic catch weighed 10 tonnes in 1988, but was 255 tonnes in 1986. Tomcod will bite readily at any bait, such as clams, worms, shrimp, or cut bait. They are also caught by anglers in harbours and off docks using spinning tackle and in stream mouths during warmer weather. Tomcod are hardy and tolerant of temperature changes and so are frequently used as bait.

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Literature

Gouvemement du Quebec. 1985. Des petits poissons a la tonne qui valent leur pesant d'or a Sainte-Anne-de-la-Perade. Direction regionale de Trois-Rivieres, Direction generale de la faune. 32 p. An illustrated account of the winter sport and commercial fishery in Quebec. Homer, S. 1986. For cod's sake. Equinox, 25:85-89. A popular account of the Ste-Anne-de-la-Perade winter fishery.

CUSK Brosme Brosme brosme (Ascanius, 1772)

Other names. Tusk, torske. Identification. The cusk is distinguished from other cod family members by having a single dorsal fin and by the dorsal and tail fins being joined. Colour. The colour varies with the background and size. The back is dark red, green-brown, or pale yellow, fading to a cream colour on the belly. The dorsal, tail, and anal fins have a white edge with black below but coloured mostly like the body. Young fish have about 6 yellow bands on the flank. Size. Cusk attain 110 cm. The world, all-tackle angling record from Norway in 1988 weighed 14.9 kg.

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Distribution. Found from southern Labrador, the outer Gulf of St Lawrence, the Grand Bank, and south to New Jersey. Also in Europe. Biology. Cusk live over hard bottoms at 18-1000 m, feeding on molluscs, crabs, starfishes (sea stars), and fishes. Females produce up to 4 million buoyant eggs in the spring and early summer. Growth is slow. They are mature at 4-10 years and 40-50 cm. Life span is 14 years. Fishery. Cusk are caught on handlines, longlines, and in otter trawls (occasionally in lobster traps). The catch weighs 1-7 kg. In 1982, 6290 tonnes were landed in Canada, worth $2,664,000. Cusk are sold fresh, frozen, and salted. The flesh is lean, white, and moderately oily and tastes much like cod. Some cusk are smoked and cured; smoked cusk have a uniquely delicious flavour and texture. Others are used in canned chicken haddie, sticks, and portions. Cusk may be caught by handline from party boats but are usually too deep.

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HADDOCK Aiglefin

Melanogrammus aeglefinus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Other names. Gibber, chat, pinger, poisson de St Pierre. Identification. The haddock is uniquely characterized by a pointed first dorsal fin, a black lateral line, a large black spot on the flank above the pectoral fin, and a small mouth. For distinctive characters of related species, see under Atlantic cod. Colour. The general body colour is a dark purplish-grey, becoming a silvery-grey below the lateral line. The belly is white. The fins are similar to the adjacent body part. The black spot or blotch is referred to as the 'devil's mark' or the 'thumbprint of St Peter.' Distribution. Found from the Strait of Belle Isle and Grand Bank south to North Carolina. Also in Europe. Size. Up to 111.8 cm and 16.8 kg. The world, all-tackle angling record fish, from Perkins Cove, Maine, in 1988, weighed 4.5 kg. Biology. This is a species favouring cold water usually below about 9°C. Haddock are bottom-living fishes which live in deeper water than cod. They are not found over mud like hake or over rocks and seaweed like cod but over broken ground, gravel, pebbles, clay, hard sand, and broken shells. They migrate onto shallow banks in the summer and into deeper waters in winter. The very deep Laurentian Channel acts as a barrier between stocks

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off Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Time of spawning varies from January to July depending on locality. On the Nova Scotia Banks it takes place in April and on the Grand Bank in June. Almost 2 million buoyant eggs are produced by each female. Larvae are pelagic for 3 months before settling to the bottom and may associate with jellyfish. Haddock may live up to 15 years, but are mature at 2-7 years, varying with the stock. Food includes crustaceans, molluscs, worms, echinoderms, and fishes such as the sand lance. Haddock are eaten by cod, pollack, silver hake, monkfish, halibut, dogfish, and skates. Fishery. Haddock is fished extensively using mostly otter trawls but also traps, baited hooks, and gill nets. It is marketed fresh, frozen, as chicken haddie and as sticks and portions, and smoked (headless and split as 'finnan haddie'), and minor amounts are canned. The flesh is white, firm, and flaky, and is said to be superior to cod. The roe is a delicacy. It is a very popular food fish in Maritime Canada. Catches have been as high as 249,000 tonnes. Catches naturally declined because of overfishing but strict regulations appear to have been effective and stocks are recovering. Catches are of fish 38-63 cm in length and 0.9-1.8 kg. The northwest Atlantic catch for 1988 weighed 36,o61 tonnes. Haddock

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bite freely and are much more vigorous fighters than cod. Baited hooks fished on the bottom or medium spinning tackle give good sport. Literature

Blacker, R.W. 1971. Synopsis of Biological Data on Haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus (Linnaeus) 1758. Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome, Fisheries Synopsis, 84:52 p. O'Boyle, R.N. 1985. The Haddock. Underwater World, Communications Directorate, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ottawa, 6 p. Catalogue number Fs 41-33/ 48-1985E.

OGAC Ogac Gadus ogac Richardson, 1836

Other names. Greenland cod, codfish, rock cod, rockling, fjord cod, loche, uvak, ovak, uugaatsuk, pilot, petite morue, morue de roche. Identification. The ogac most closely resembles the Atlantic cod but has a black body cavity lining and ovary lining, a larger eye, no round spots on the body, and a mouth that extends back under the middle of the eye. Further distinguishing features are given under Atlantic cod. Colour. The colour varies with the background but is usually a dark brown on the back, fading to a marbled yellowish on the

sides, and white to grey on the belly. The pectoral and pelvic fins are dark brown to black. The lateral line is the same colour as the flank. Distribution. From the Arctic Ocean south to the Bras d'Or Lakes of Nova Scotia.

Size. Up to 71.1 cm and 7 kg. Biology. An inshore species which may be found in inlets and estuaries. This species favours soft bottoms in contrast to the Atlantic cod. Ogac is the common species encountered in harbours and fjords of the Labrador coast and is also common along the Quebec North Shore, probably because of the influence of the cold Labrador current. It does not migrate extensively. Spawning occurs in February, March, or April in shallow water. When mature, fish are 3-4 years old; they may live up to about 21 years. Food includes capelin, flounders, smelts, various crustaceans, worms, squids, and starfish (sea stars). Fishery. Not of great commercial importance in Canada because populations tend to be divided and small. Used primarily as animal food. The 1988 northwest Atlantic catch weighed 1,383 tonnes. 141

POLLOCK Goberge

Pollachius virens (Linnaeus, 1758)

Other names. Pollack, coalfish, green cod, saithe, coley, Boston bluefish, blister-back, merlan noire, merlan, colin, lieu noire. Identification. Pollock are distinguished by their forked tail, projecting lower jaw, and absence of spots. The chin barbel is very small or absent. The lateral line is straight and does not arch over the pectoral fin. For distinctive characters of other species, see under Atlantic cod. Colour. The back is greenish, fading to yellow, green, or bluish grey on the flanks and yellowish or silvery-grey on the belly. The lateral line is white or grey. The pelvic fins are white with a red tinge, and all other fins are olive. Distribution. From the northern tip of Labrador (rare), common in southern Labrador, throughout Maritime Canada and southwards to North Carolina. Size. Up to 1.5 m and 31.5 kg. The world-record rod-caught pollock, caught at Brielle, New Jersey, in 1975, weighed 21.06 kg.

Biology. Pollock are active fish and live at all levels in the water column. They prefer cool water of less than 11°C. They are known to migrate long distances. Bay of Fundy pollock winter at Cape Cod, returning in the spring. Young pollock are common around wharves, jetties, and in coastal waters of the Bay of Fundy and southwest Nova Scotia. Apparently they spawn in midwinter (late October-February) at 5-6°C, producing over 4 million buoyant

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eggs which hatch in about 9 days. Pollock live up to 17 years and become mature at age 3-7 years. Food is mainly other fish like sand lance, plaice, and hake for large adults when offshore, and small crustaceans when inshore. Pollock sometimes chase bait fish to the surface. Fishery. Pollock are commercially important and are caught by line trawls, handlines, purse seines, otter trawls, and in weirs and traps. They are marketed fresh, salted and dried, canned, or smoked, and sometimes appear under the name 'Boston bluefish' or 'deep-sea fillets.' Some are used in chicken haddie, sticks, and portions. The flesh is lean and somewhat darker than cod, with a greyish colour. It makes a fine chowder. The main fishery is on Browns Bank and the total allowable catch is 40,000 tonnes. Commercial catches are 50-90 cm long and weigh 1-7 kg. The northwest Atlantic catch in 1988 was 62,168 tonnes. Anglers may catch pollock by bait fishing, trolling, or jigging with shrimps, clams, squid, herring, or worms. They may also be caught by casting from shore. Boat parties may bring in 250 kg in half a day's fishing. Artificial lures and flies are also successful. Pollock make strong runs and may leap and attempt to dislodge the hook. They have also been caught by spearfishing. Small pollock about

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1.5 kg in weight can be caught from wharves ('harbour pollock') and provide sport and a delicious meal for young anglers. Literature McGlade, J.M., D. Beanlands, and M. Oberle. 1984. Pollock. Underwater World, Communications Branch, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ottawa. 6 p. Catalogue number Fs 41-33/35-1984E. Steele, D.H. 1963. Pollock (Pollachius virens (L.)) in the Bay of Fundy. Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada 20(5):1267-1314. A scientific account of pollock biology.

RED HAKE Merluche rouge Urophycis chuss (Walbaum, 1792)

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Other names. Squirrel hake, codling, mud hake, ling, merluche, lingue. Identification. Both hake species are distinguished from other members of the cod family by having only 2 dorsal fins and 1 anal fin. Each pelvic fin is modified into 2 elongate rays, the longest reaching back to, or beyond, the vent, thus also separating them from the silver hake, which belongs to a related family. The red and white hakes have been regarded as a single species in the past. They can be separated by a lateral line scale count which is

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95-117 in the red hake and 119-148 in the white hake, and by red hake having longer and more (3) gill rakers on the upper limb of the gill arch than white hake, which have 2 short rakers. Both hakes have the upper jaw projecting, a large mouth extending back under the eye, and a small chin barbel. The third ray of the first dorsal fin is very long. A lateral line is present. In the red hake the second dorsal fin is much larger than the first dorsal fin (53-64 compared to 9-11 rays). The anal fin is also long (45-57 rays).

Colour. Variable, but usually the back and flanks are a reddish or muddy brown. The belly is pale grey to white, sometimes speckled with black. The fins are mottled and similar in colour to adjacent parts of the body, but the anal fin is pale at the base. Distribution. From southern Newfoundland and southern Maritime Canada to North Carolina. I

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Size. Up to 130 cm and 3.2 kg.

Biology. Past confusion in identity between the red and white hakes means that their biology and fishery data are often not treated separately in the earlier literature. Hake favour soft muddy bottoms. In the Bay of Fundy they may be found both inshore and offshore in response to preferred temperatures. Small red hake 145

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offshore commonly live inside live scallop shells. They do not eat the scallop but use the shell as a shelter and only emerge to feed. Red hake spawn in Passamaquoddy Bay in September and on the Scotian Shelf in August. Crustaceans are the main part of the diet of both hakes but small fishes such as silversides, tomcod, herring, mackerel, gaspereau, sculpins, and sticklebacks are also eaten. Red hake mature at 30 cm and live about 5 years. Fishery. Both hakes are caught by otter trawls, line trawls, handlines, and gill nets. They may also be caught under ice in winter from estuaries. They are marketed fresh, salted; as fish cakes, sticks, and portions, and canned as chicken haddie; minor amounts are smoked. Some are sold fresh. The flesh is lean and slightly soft with a mild flavour. It deteriorates rapidly and becomes rubbery. The liver is used to make oil and the swimbladders ('sounds') are used in gelatin production. The average sustainable catch of hakes for the southern Gulf of St Lawrence is estimated as 4000 tonnes and for the Scotian Shelf as 4700 tonnes. The 1988 catch for red hake in the northwest Atlantic was 2145

tonnes and for white hake 18,26o tonnes. The catch averages 1- 5 kg per fish. Red hake will readily take a hook baited with clams or herring but do not fight well. They bite best after dark. Literature Markle, D.F. 1981. Red Hake. Underwater World, Communications Branch, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ottawa. 4 p. Catalogue number Fs41-33/8-1981E. A readable account of the biology and fishery of red hake. Steiner, W.W., J.L. Luczkovich, and B.L. Olla. 1982. Activity, shelter usage, growth and recruitment of juvenile red hake Urophycis chuss. Marine Ecology, Progress Series, 7:125-135. A scientific account of the symbiotic association of hake with scallops.

WHITE HAKE Merluche blanche Urophycis musicki Cohen and Lavenberg, 1984

Other names. Red hake, squirrel hake, Boston hake, black hake, codling, mud hake, ling, merluche, lingue. Identification. The higher scale count (119-148) distinguishes the white hake from the very similar red hake. Other characters are listed under red hake. The second dorsal fin is much longer (50-58 rays) than the first dorsal fin (9 or 10 rays). The anal fin is also long (41-52 rays). 147

Colour. Variable with the background but usually purple-brown to grey-brown above. Belly cream to yellow with small black spots. Fins are the same colour as adjacent body parts. Distribution. From southern Labrador and throughout Maritime Canada and southwards to Florida. Size. Up to 135 cm and 22.3 kg. The world, all-tackle angling record fish, from Perkins Cove, Maine, in 1986, weighed 20.97 kg.

Biology. See also under red hake. The white hake is perhaps even more restricted to mud bottoms. Juveniles are found in nearshore shallows. White hake do not always live as close to the bottom as haddock or cod since bottom-living organisms may not figure prominently in their food. However, they are reported to feed by dragging the long and sensitive pelvic fins on the bottom. Food items such as crabs are quickly recognized and snapped up. Feeding is nocturnal. White hake spawn inshore in the Gulf of St Lawrence in late summer but in early spring on Georges Bank. They are exceptionally fecund, producing up to 2637 eggs per gram of body weight, up to 15 million per female. White hake mature at about 50 cm and 3-5 years of age. Life span is over 10 years. They aim to 'get big quick' by delaying maturity. In contrast, red hake avoid predators and 'get mature quick.' These are

life history strategies aimed at ensuring the survival of the species. Both hake prefer temperatures in the 3-12°C range, but red hake tend to prefer the narrower range of 7-10°C. White hake are therefore found at depths of 100-400 m while red hake have a more limited range of 50-250 m. Fishery. See under red hake. Grand Bank catches may reach 9000

tonnes. Literature Bishop, C.A. 1984. White Hake. Underwater World, Communications Branch, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ottawa, 6 p. Catalogue number Fs 41-33/13 1984E. A readable account of the biology and fishery of white hake in Canada. Markle, D.F., D.A. Methven, and L.J. Coates-Markle. 1982. Aspects of spatial and temporal concurrence in the life history stages of the sibling hakes, Urophycis chuss (Walbaum 1792) and Urophycis tenuis (Mitchill 1815) (Pisces: Gadidae). Canadian Journal of Zoology, 6o(9): 2057-2078. Scientific descriptions of the life histories of these two hakes. Musick, J.A. 1973. A meristic and morphometric comparison of the hakes, Urophycis chuss and U. tenuis (Pisces, Gadidae). Fishery Bulletin, 71(2):479-488. Scientific description of the two hakes and how to separate them.

Hake family Famille des merlus Merlucciidae The hake family contains about 13 species found in the Atlantic Ocean, the eastern Pacific Ocean, Tasmania, and New Zealand. In the northwest Atlantic there are 3 species, 1 being of interest here. The hake family can be distinguished from the closely related cod family by having 2 dorsal fins and 1 anal fin, like some of the cods, but each with a deep notch about two-thirds of the way along their length, by the absence of a chin barbel, and by having pelvic fins on the chest. The first principal dorsal ray is spiny. There is a v-shaped ridge on top of the head. The main distinctive 149

characters between the hake and cod families are structures of the skull and ribs.

SILVER HAKE Merlu argente Merluccius bilinearis (Mitchill, 1814)

Other names. Whiting, frostfish, New England hake. Identification. The lower number of dorsal and anal fins and shiny scales in life separates the silver hake from most members of the cod family at a glance, and it can be distinguished from the red and white hakes by its pelvic fins being normal, rather than elongated feelers. The head is long and pointed, the lower jaw projects, and the large mouth extends back to the middle of the eye. There are 2 or more rows of sharp, curved teeth in the mouth. There is an obvious lateral line which appears to be double since it is outlined above and below with black. Colour. Fresh specimens are an iridescent silver, which fades to brown or dark grey after death. The sides have 5-13 faint dark or dusky-rose bars or blotches. The belly is silver to gold. The pectoral fin edge and its base are blackish. The mouth is a duskyblue inside. Distribution. From the northern Gulf of St Lawrence and southern Newfoundland and southwards to South Carolina. Size. Up to 76.2 cm and 2.3 kg. Biology. Occurs in shallows and down to over 900 m. The silver hake is commonest in Canadian waters in summer, retreating to the south or to deeper waters as colder conditions develop. This

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hake prefers temperatures of about 5-13°C, warmer than for most cods and hakes. Spawning takes place from June to September, and the eggs are buoyant. Over a million eggs are produced. The fry remain in surface waters until the fall before going down to deeper water levels. The food of this voracious and strong-swimming species consists of young gaspereau, mackerel, silversides, smelt, butterfish, sand lance, squid, and crustaceans. Silver hake are probably mature at 2 years of age, and life span is up to 12 years. They may become stranded on beaches when chasing herring schools. Fishery. The flesh is tasty and pinkish-white but spoils quickly so most commercial catches are used in fish-meal or quickly frozen and used as sticks and portions. Silver hake is also available flaked and canned as 'chicken haddie.' It is somewhat coarser than cod and less bland. The Scotian Shelf fishery is handled by USSR and Cuban fleets, and catches by them have exceeded 300,000 tonnes, but the total allowable catch is now set at between 70,000 and 90,000 tonnes, varying with recruitment. The Canadian share of the total allowable catch was 30,000 tonnes in 1980. The northwest Atlantic catch in 1988 was 90,713 tonnes. Bottom trawls were used but unfortunately large numbers of young belonging to other

commercially important species were also caught, thus affecting adult catches. A minimum mesh size was therefore introduced, which should aid the escape of smaller fishes. Fish in the catch are 24-35 cm long and weigh 0.7 kg. This species is not generally regarded as a sport fish since it does not fight well. It readily takes a hook baited with clams or cut fish, and fished on the bottom.

Grenadier family Famille des grenadiers Macrouridae Grenadiers or rattails are found worldwide in deeper waters. There are about 260 species, with about 9 species in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. These fishes are characterized by the second dorsal and anal fins being continuous around the elongate, tapering, and pointed tail. There is usually a barbel on the chin, and the snout protrudes over the mouth. Scales are small and cycloid. There may be a light organ under the belly skin. The snout is used to plough up bottom sediments to reveal food. Males of some species can make drumming noises with muscles on the swimbladder.

ROCK GRENADIER Grenadier de roche

Coryphaenoides rupestris Gunnerus, 1765

Other names. Roundnose grenadier.

Identification. This grenadier is easily distinguished by the absence of a tail fin and a characteristic body tapering to a point (hence the other common name for family members 'rat tails'). The rock grenadier is also characterized by its rounded, soft snout and almost terminal mouth. Colour. The colour is medium brown with the fins deep brownviolet, grey, or black. Size. Exceeds

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Distribution. From between Baffin Island and Greenland to Cape Hatteras in depths of 350-2500 m. Also found in Europe. Biology. Females live longer than males. The species is slow growing and late maturing and may live up to 30 years. The exact time of spawning is unclear because it occurs at great depths. Up to 16,500 floating eggs are produced. Food items are small invertebrates, such as pelagic crustaceans, squid, and small fish. The Greenland halibut feeds on rock grenadiers. Fishery. A commercial fishery by foreign ships developed in the Davis Strait in 1968 using bottom and mid-water trawls at 500-1000 m depths with catches as high as 83,000 tonnes before rock grenadiers were overfished. The catch is usually 6o-70 cm long. The flesh is lean, white, and sweeter than cod. It is filleted aboard the stern trawlers and the livers, rich in vitamin A, are kept. Literature Atkinson, D.B. 1981. Roundnose Grenadier. Underwater World, Communications Branch, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ottawa. 6 p. Catalogue number Fs 41-33/7-1981£.

Saury family Famille des balaous Scomberesocidae This family contains 4 species in marine Atlantic and Pacific waters. There is only 1 species in the northwest Atlantic. Members

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of the family have the jaws formed into a characteristic, elongate beak, soft fin rays, a posterior dorsal fin, pectoral fins high on the side of the body, pelvic fins in the abdominal position, small, cycloid scales, a ductless swimbladder, and a lateral line low on the side of the body. The young saury has a short beak which develops with age.

ATLANTIC SA URY Balaou

Scomberesox saurus (Walbaum, 1792)

Other names. Billfish, needlefish, skipjack, skipper, aiguille de mer, saurel. Identification. Distinguished from other fishes by the needle-like beak formed from the jaws. The lower jaw is slightly longer. The teeth are weak. The dorsal and anal fins are far back on the body near the tail, and each is followed by 5-7 £inlets. Scales are loose and number over 100 along the flank. Colour. Olive-green on the back, flanks with bluish tints and a silvery band. The belly is silvery. The dorsal fin is greenish, and there is a dark-green spot above the base of each pectoral fin. Distribution. From eastern Newfoundland and the southern Gulf of St Lawrence to Nova Scotia and on southwards to the West Indies. Also in Europe and all southern oceans. Size. Up to about 50 cm. Biology. Arrives in Canadian waters in summer, when the seas are warmest. Sauries do not spawn in the colder Canadian part of their range. They may live up to 3 years. The diet is small crusta-

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ceans, such as copepods, and small fishes. Sauries are eaten by tuna, mackerel, swordfish, marlins, cod, hakes, and pollock. When pursued, whole schools of saury cascade out of the water in an attempt to escape. They may even become stranded on beaches while fleeing predators. Fishery. Up to 6750 kg have been caught in a given year in Canada but their irregular appearance prevents a consistent fishery. They are caught with seines and make a delicious food. Some have been canned but most are used as bait. They can be caught by scoop-netting, using light as an attractant. Literature Hubbs, C.L., and R.L. Wisner. 198o. Revision of the sauries (Pisces, Scomberesocidae) with descriptions of two new genera and one new species. Fishery Bulletin, 77(3): 521-566. Scientific account of taxonomy and distribution.

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Killifish family Famille des fondules Fundulidae This family contains about 40 species in brackish and fresh waters, and more rarely coastal waters, in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. There are 2 species in the northwest Atlantic, and 1 is of interest because of its use as a bait fish. The family is composed of small-sized fishes with soft fin rays; the dorsal fin is placed posteriorly, pelvic fins are abdominal, scales are cycloid and extend onto the top of the head, and the swimbladder is ductless. The head is flattened on top and the mouth is turned up. Killifish lay eggs, unlike some related families which bear live young. Many popular aquarium fishes, such as guppies and swordtails, are related to this family.

MUMMICHOG Choquemort Fundulus heteroclitus (Linnaeus, 1776)

Other names. Saltwater minnow, common killifish, killy, gudgeon, mud dabbler, mudminnow, mummy, chub, saltmarsh killifish. Identification. The stout body, deep caudal peduncle, rounded tail, posterior soft-rayed dorsal fin over the anal fin, and abdomi-

nal pelvic fins distinguish this species. The lower jaw projects slightly, and each jaw has a narrow band of teeth. There are scales on the top of the head which extend down on to the sides of the head, where they are not always readily visible. Scales on the flank are large, numbering 31-39. On males during the spawning season these scales develop finger-like processes on the free edge. There is no lateral line canal or pores. Colour. Very variable with locality and age and sex of the specimen. Males are more brilliantly coloured than females at spawning time. The male is dark green or blue-black on the back and sides with an orange-yellow belly. The flanks have irregular silvery bars and numerous white and yellow spots. The females are overall lighter in colour, an olive-green; their flanks have 13-15 indistinct bars. Distribution. From the Gulf of St Lawrence and southern Newfoundland south to Texas. Size. Up to 15.2 cm. Biology. This species is very common in estuaries, marshes, and brackish pools where individuals tolerate stagnant conditions. In winter they can bury themselves in estuarine mud and in summer can survive temperatures up to 35°C. Adhesive eggs, measuring about 2 mm and numbering up to 740, are laid in masses on the bottom in shallow water. The males fight during the spawning season, which varies from April to October depending on latitude. In Nova Scotia spawning begins at the end of May and ends in the middle of June. Mummichogs eat small crustaceans, molluscs, small fishes, and plant material such as diatoms and eel-grass. Life span is 4 years. Fishery. Used extensively as bait by fishermen for a variety of sport fishes as mummichogs are very hardy on a hook. Their tolerance of low oxygen conditions and salinity changes makes them easy to transport. They are also used as laboratory animals; mummichog eggs even went into space on Skylab for a study of embryological development under reduced gravity. Mummichogs are also useful to man in that they consume mosquito larvae. Literature Radtke, R. 1979. The mummichog: A fish for all reasons. Sea Frontiers, 25(3):145-149. A general description of this species and its use.

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Silverside family Famille des capucettes Atherinidae The silverside family is found in seas and fresh waters of the tropics and temperate regions and comprises about 16o species. In the northwest Atlantic, only 1 species is found. Silversides are small, slender, silvery fishes distinguished by two separate dorsal fins, abdominal pelvic fins, pectoral fins high on the flank, and a broad silvery band along each flank. Scales are cycloid. Silversides are found in large schools and are major forage fish for commercial species.

ATLANTIC SIL VERSIDE Capucette Menidia menidia (Linnaeus, 1766)

Other names. Sand smelt, white-bait, shiner, capelin, sperling, green smelt. Identification. Distinguished from other fishes by having a short, spiny dorsal fin; a separate, longer, soft dorsal fin; and no adipose fin. Both dorsal fins lie behind the abdominal pelvic fins. There is a long anal fin with 20 or more rays. The pectoral fins are high on the flanks. There is a lateral line. The large, cycloid scales extend onto the sides of the head. The mouth is small and oblique, and each jaw has a narrow band of teeth.

Colour. A characteristic silver band topped by a black streak runs along the flank. The back is transparent green and the belly is white. The scales stand out because they are lined by brown and green dots. Apart from the head, gut, and backbone, this fish can be practically transparent. Distribution. Southern Gulf of St Lawrence south to Florida. Size. Up to 15 cm. Biology. The silverside is found in estuaries and inshore waters in large schools. The fish eat small crustaceans, such as copepods, mysids, and shrimps, and worms and small squid. They are eaten by striped bass, in particular. Eggs have sticky threads which enable them to adhere to sand and weeds. Spawning occurs from April to July. In Massachusetts there are 5 fortnightly spawnings at high tides. Silversides may live for more than 2 years in northern waters. Fishery. Silversides may be caught through the ice in winter and have been canned. More usually they are used as bait and live food for brook charr, rainbow trout, and other fishes. They are excellent food when fried ('white-bait') and are available whole and frozen. The flesh is medium-fat and very perishable. The 1988 northwest Atlantic catch weighed 107 tonnes. Literature Cadigan, K.M., and P.E. Fell. 1985. Reproduction, growth and feeding habits of Menidia menidia (Atherinidae) in a tidal marsh-estuarine system in southern New England. Copeia, 1985(1):21-26. Jessop, B.M. 1983. Aspects of the Life History of the Atlantic Silverside (Menidia menidia) of the Annapolis River, Nova Scotia. Canadian Manuscript Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 1694:41 p.

Temperate bass family Famille des bars Percichthyidae The temperate bass family is related to the true basses, which are commonly found in tropical seas. The temperate basses are found 159

in temperate and tropical regions, both marine and freshwater. There are about 50 species, of which 4 occur in the northwest Atlantic and 2 are dealt with here. They are characterized by having 2 separate, or almost separate, dorsal fins, the first spiny and the second soft rayed. There are no £inlets as in the mackerel family. The anal fin has 3 spines before the soft rays. The caudal peduncle is deep and the tail broad but only moderately forked, in contrast to mackerels and bluefish. The gill cover usually has 2 flat spines on its posterior edge but none on the cheek. The mouth is large, in contrast to the wrasse family. In short, temperate basses are identified more by what they are not than by what they are.

STRIPED BASS Bar raye Marone saxatilis (Walbaum, 1792)

Other names. Striper, rockfish, roller, linesides, squid hound, sewer trout, greenhead. Identification. The striped bass is distinguished from the white perch by the black stripes on the sides and the weaker spines in the dorsal and anal fins. The dorsal fins are separated by a short space. The third anal fin spine is noticeably the longest. There are 50-72 scales along the flank. The mouth is small, the lower jaw projects slightly, and small teeth are found on the jaws, tongue base, and roof of the mouth. There are 2 weak spines on the edge of the gill cover. The first dorsal fin has 7-12 spines and the

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second 1 spine and 8-14 soft rays. The pelvic fin base is located slightly behind the pectoral fin base. There is a distinct lateral line.

Colour. The back and upper flanks are dark olive-green to black or steel blue, fading to silver or white on the belly. The sides have 4-9 horizontal dark stripes with the upper stripe most distinct. The stripes fade with age. Young fish often have 6-10 bars on the flanks. Distribution. Found from the St Lawrence River and its Gulf south through Nova Scotia and on to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. I I

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Size. May be over 1.83 m and 56.7 kg. The rod-caught record for a marine fish is 35.6 kg from Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1982. Biology. A coastal species which migrates up rivers in early MayJune to spawn at the head of the tide in brackish or fresh water. Over 40 million eggs may be found in each female at one time, of which 10% are mature. The eggs sink in quiet water but are easily moved by river currents so they do not get silted over and smothered. Striped bass may live up to 31 years. They favour temperatures warmer than about 6°C, and above 18°C for successful spawning. They are voracious feeders on small fishes, such as gas161

pereau, herring, smelt, eels, flounders, mummichog, silver hake, and silversides, and also on squid, crabs, and worms. They often feed at night when, for example, marine worms are most active. Fishery. Not now commercially important as populations have been severely depleted. The 1988 catch in the northwest Atlantic weighed 184 tonnes and the 1984 catch 1241 tonnes. Striped bass may be caught in weirs, traps, and gill nets. They are greatly sought after by anglers as they are strong, found even in surf, and are a delicious food. Striped bass support quite a tourist industry in coastal areas of the United States, and fish in the 32 kg range lurk in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. They appear off Nova Scotia in May and New Brunswick in June. Baits and plugs may be used in surf or in strong currents in estuaries with success. Eels and worms are favourite baits, and jigging, trolling, and fly-fishing will also catch this species. When feeding on a particular food item they will ignore all other baits offered them. They tend to gorge and then digest in unison so that an angler is either catching them freely or not at all. Literature Freeman, B.L. 1977. Notes on striped bass migrations. Underwater Naturalist, 10(4):13-19. Details of migrations in the United States and Canada.

WHITE PERCH Baret Marone americana (Gmelin, 1789)

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Other names. Sea perch, silver perch, silver bass, narrow-mouthed bass, bar-perche. Identification. The white perch differs from the striped bass by its deeper and less-rounded body, absence of a space between the 2 dorsal fins, its 45-53 scales along the flanks, and the second and third anal fin spines being almost equal in length. The gill covers are slightly serrated. The mouth is small, the lower jaw projects slightly, and small teeth are found in both jaws and on the sides of the tongue. The first dorsal fin has 8-10 strong spines, and the second has 1 spine and 11 or 12 soft rays. The pelvic fins have 1 spine each and lie slightly behind the pectoral fin base. The scales extend onto the top and sides of the head. There is a distinct lateral line. Colour. The back is olive, grey-green, or silvery-grey, or dark brown to black, becoming lighter on the flanks and silvery-white on the belly. The pelvic and anal fins are sometimes pink at their base. The young have pale stripes but these fade with age. Distribution. Upper St Lawrence River and southern Gulf of St Lawrence south to Nova Scotia and on to South Carolina. Size. Up to 48.3 cm and 2.72 kg. The world, all-tackle angling record fish, caught in 1949 in Messalonskee Lake, Maine, weighed 2.15 kg. Biology. Usually found in brackish waters, never far from river mouths, in inland salt waters and along beaches. Summer temperatures favoured are 24°C and higher. Spawning occurs in late May to late July, and up to 321,000 eggs are produced, which stick to the bottom. White perch may live up to 17 years but this is exceptional and most live 5-7 years, maturing at 3 years. In more marine conditions they consume small fishes, fish eggs, shrimps, and crabs. Fishery. Not fished commercially in marine Canadian waters although there are significant fisheries in Chesapeake Bay and the lower Great Lakes. White perch is a good sport fish in Maritime Canada and New England waters and bites freely on any natural or artificial bait, including flies. White perch do not usually attain a large size in Canadian waters. They are excellent eating, having a firm, white flesh which makes good chowder or fillets.

Bluefish family Famille des tassergals Pomatomidae The bluefish family contains 1 species found in warmer waters around the world. It is closely related to the tropical and subtropical family Carangidae or jacks and pompanos but has smaller pelvic fins, a stout caudal peduncle without a lateral keel, and a large mouth extending past the eye. The teeth are sharp, conical, and canine and are found in both jaws. It differs from the mackerel family by not having finlets and from the temperate basses by the short dorsal fin spines. The preoperculum has a membrane flap extending over the suboperculum. Bluefish have a smell of cucumbers, a characteristic shared with the smelt family.

BLUEFISH Tassergal Pomatomus saltatrix (Linnaeus, 1766)

Other names. Balarin, blue, tailor, elf, chopper, snapper, skipjack, rock salmon, snapper blue, Hatteras blue, marine piranha, harbour blue. Identification. The first dorsal fin has 6-8 spines connected by a membrane. Uniquely the spines are much shorter than the rays of the second dorsal fin and can fold into a groove on the back. The

two anal fin spines are hidden in the skin before the soft rays. The pelvics lie under the pectoral fin base. There is a lateral line with a slight curve over the pectoral fin. The scales are moderate in size and extend onto the head and bases of the dorsal and anal fins.

Colour. Blue to blue-green or blue-grey on the back, shading to silvery or white on the belly. There is a black blotch at the pectoral fin base. Distribution. Normally found in warmer waters off the US coast, the bluefish commonly strays north to Nova Scotia and occasionally to New Brunswick.

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Size. Up to 1.2 m and possibly to 22.5 kg. The world-record rodcaught bluefish, from Hatteras, North Carolina, in 1972, weighed 14.4 kg.

Biology. An open ocean or pelagic species which occurs in large schools where water temperatures are higher than 15°C. Schools in the United States may be as long as 8 km. Younger fish sometimes occur in coastal waters, and in the Canadian range these are the specimens seen. Spawning occurs from June to August, but little is known of where this occurs. Bluefish live at least 14 years.

They are noted for their voracity and attack schools of mackerel, herring, menhaden, and gaspereau, often killing more than they can eat. However, they can eat twice their own body weight in a day. Their movements are often related to those of the schools of fish on which they feed. Schools of menhaden can become stranded on beaches in their attempt to escape.

Fishery. An important and popular food fish in the United States but not in Canada. The bluefish is also a famous sport fish, and anglers have pursued it in Nova Scotian waters. In 1979, bluefish were ranked first among recreational fish in the United States with a catch of 54,000 tonnes. The oily flesh does not keep well even when frozen, but is delicious fresh or smoked. Angling methods used for this species include trolling, chumming, casting, jigging, and live and dead baits. Live baits are said to be best. Wire leaders are used because of the sharp teeth. Bluefish can be caught from the shore in surf or bays and from boats. A freshly captured bluefish should be handled with respect as large specimens can sever a finger. A school of bluefish in a feeding frenzy will even bite swimmers and can inflict nasty wounds. The northwest Atlantic catch for 1988 weighed 6234 tonnes. Literature Anderson, R.D. 1978. Feeding and spawning of bluefish. Sea Frontiers, 24(6):335-339. A popular account of this species in the Atlantic. Lineaweaver, T.H. 1965. The bluefish. Sea Frontiers, 11(1):14-22. Historical studies and modern biology.

Wrasse family Famille des labres Labridae This family contains about 500 species in warmer seas worldwide. It is a family more usually associated with the coral reefs of the tropics, where its members are often brightly coloured. There are 2 species in the northwest Atlantic. Wrasses are often stout-bodied fishes with numerous spines (8-21) continuous with soft rays (6-21) in the dorsal fin. The tail fin is rounded. The small mouth 166

is also characteristic, with protruding canine or incisor teeth. Knob-like throat teeth are used to crush molluscs. Scales are cycloid. Other members of the family vary greatly in body shape and size. Some species have the unusual habit of burying themselves in sand at night. They often swim jerkily using the pectoral fins. Some wrasses change sex from female to male as they age.

CUNNER Tanche-tautogue

Tautogolabrus adspersus (Walbaurn, 1792)

Other names. Perch, sea perch, bengal, bergall, nibbler, chogset, bluefish, blue perch, chogy, nipper, baitstealer, conner, achigan de mer, tanche, vieille. Identification. Distinguished from the tautog by the head being almost straight on top between the tip of the snout and the dorsal fin, by the gill cover having scales extending onto the lower half, and by the 18 dorsal fin spines, the narrower caudal peduncle, and about 40 scales in the lateral line. The mouth is small with thick lips. The conical teeth are in several rows and are unequal in size. The anal fin has 3 spines and 9 soft rays. The pelvic fins are under the pectoral fin base. Colour. Very variable with the background, age, and possibly the

diet. Often brightly patterned. Usually brown, grey-brown, red, bluish, or olive-green and mottled. The belly is bluish or white. Lips may be yellow. Young cunner have a black spot at the front of the soft dorsal fin and have a bright copper-orange body. Distribution. From northern Newfoundland south through Maritime Canada to Chesapeake Bay in the United States. Size. Up to 43.2 cm and 1.5 kg. Biology. Cunner often live inshore but do not enter estuaries. They are common around wharves, docks, jetties, piers, and patches of seaweed. Cunner are not found in large schools and usually live close to the bottom around rocks. During winter the cunner occupies crevices and holes in shallow water. Here they are inactive and do not feed for 5-6 months. They prefer warmer waters at 20°C or more. Spawning occurs from June to August, and the small eggs float to hatch in 40 hours at 20°C. Mature fish are in their third year of life, and females are larger than males. Life span is 10 years or more. Cunners feed on molluscs and crustaceans but other items are also eaten, including worms, sea squirts, barnacles, fish eggs, and eel-grass. They scavenge in harbours.

Fishery. Not used commercially in Canada. Cunner have been used as food for pigs and as fertilizer. They are sought after by anglers, particularly younger enthusiasts, although they may be a nuisance to older anglers because they readily take bait meant for other species. A favourite bait is clam, but worms and other fleshy items can be used with small hooks to match the small mouth. The flesh is bony and may have a bluish tinge, which discourages many people from trying to eat it, but it is edible. The skin is very tough and has to be removed before marketing. Literature Johansen, F. 1925. Natural history of the cunner (Tautogalabrus adspersus Walbaum). Contributions to Canadian Biology, New Series, 2(17): 423-467. A general but old text on the biology of this species. Pottle, R.A., and J.M. Green. 1979. Field observations on the reproductive behaviour of the cunner, Tautogalabrus adspersus (Walbaum), in Newfoundland. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 57(1): 247-256. This report contains recent references on cunner biology in Canada.

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TAUTOG Tautogue noir Tautoga onitis (Linnaeus, 1758)

Other names. Black-fish, black, black porgy, tog, Molly George, white chin, chub, oyster-fish. Identification. The tautog is distinguished from the cunner by the pelvic fin base being behind the pectoral fin base, by the lower half of the gill cover being without scales, by the head being rounded on top, by the 16 or 17 dorsal fin spines, and by there being about 70 lateral line scales. The mouth is small and the lips are thick. Conical teeth are in two rows in the front of each jaw and there are 2 groups of rounded, crushing teeth at the rear of the mouth. The dorsal fin spines have a small fleshy flap. The anal fin has 3 spines and 7 or 8 soft rays. Scales are moderate in size and extend onto the head and lower parts of the dorsal and anal fins. A lateral line is present, and it curves downward under the soft dorsal fin. Colour. Colour is variable with the background. Overall colour is often a dusky black, brown, or blue, or grey or green with dark mottling in small fish. Large fish tend to be entirely black except for a white chin. The belly is paler than the flanks. Distribution. From southern New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to South Carolina.

Size. Up to 92.7 cm. The world-record rod-caught tautog from Wachapreague, Virginia, in 1987 weighed 10.88 kg. Biology. Found in coastal waters, particularly in Canada, and sometimes in brackish water. Rocky or shell bottoms are preferred and tautog are common around wrecks, docks, and breakwaters and along rocky shores. They are often found in holes among rocks and become active with the rising tide and daylight. Spawning occurs in summer, and the small eggs float. Tautog probably mature at 3 years and live 22 years. Diet comprises molluscs such as mussels and snails, and crustaceans, like barnacles, crabs, and lobsters, which are all crushed by the powerful teeth. Fishery. This is a very popular sport and food fish in the United States but has been rare in Canada. However, a sport fishery occurred in 1957 in Eel Brook Lake, Nova Scotia, when about 2000 were caught by hook and line. The fishery declined to 450 in 1958. Tautogs may still be caught there and in tidal rivers at nearby Argyle. The bones may develop a bluish tint, which is harmless but a little disconcerting in a food fish. The flesh is white and dry and has a delicate flavour. Anglers take tautog using baits such as crabs, clams, worms, shrimps, and mussels. It fights stubbornly but is not a very active or fast fish. When a tautog takes a hook it passes the bait back to the crushing teeth; this results in several jerks on the line. An early strike will lose the fish. Its size and year-round availability make it a popular sport fish. It may also be taken by spear fishermen. Commercial fishermen catch tautog using pots, traps, trawls, and handlines. The 1988 catch for the northwest Atlantic weighed 458 tonnes.

Wolffish family Famille des poissons-loups Anarhichadidae The wolffish family contains 9 species in the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. There are 3 species in the northwest Atlantic but only 1 occurs commonly in shallower waters. The family is

characterized by large size and massive blunt heads with both conical (or canine) and crushing molar teeth. The dorsal and anal fins are long but the small tail fin is distinct. There are no pelvic fins. The 1988 catch in the northwest Atlantic for all wolffishes weighed 5645 tonnes and the 1983 catch 11,299 tonnes.

ATLANTIC WOLFFISH Loup atlantique Anarhichas lupus Linnaeus, 1758

Other names. Catfish, striped wolffish, ocean whitefish. Identification. The Atlantic wolffish is distinguished from other members of the family by having distinct bars anteriorly on the body. The mouth is terminal and oblique. It has about 6 large, conical teeth or canines at the front of the upper jaw and molar teeth behind them. The roof of the mouth has crushing teeth, the central ones joined into a solid plate. The dorsal fin has 69 or more spines. There is no lateral canal, and the body has poorly developed scales. Colour. Body bluish to olive-green or brown, but colour variable with the surroundings. Usually 9-13 dark bars on the anterior body extending also onto the dorsal fin. Ventrally a dirty white. Distribution. Baffin Island and southern Labrador to Nova Scotia and south to New Jersey. Also in Europe.

0

Size. Up to 1.52 m. The world, all-tackle angling record, from Georges Bank, Massachusetts, in 1986, weighed 23.58 kg. Biology. Wolffish are found over hard bottoms at 27-66 m around Newfoundland and on the Scotian Shelf. They are solitary fishes and weak swimmers. Their diet comprises molluscs, such as whelks, mussels, and clams, but crabs, sea urchins, and starfish (sea stars) are also eaten, crushed by the molar teeth. Eggs are very large (up to 6.5 mm) and are found in large clumps on the bottom during the August-September spawning season. Fishery. A commercial species with nearly 300 tons landed in Newfoundland in 1971. Wolffish are often marketed fresh or frozen as ocean catfish or whitefish, individuals weighing 1-10 kg. They are also used in canned chicken haddie and in sticks and portions. The white flesh has a pleasant flavour. Since they do not form schools, their capture is incidental with that of other species. They may be taken by sport fishermen using clams as bait. They should be handled with care because of their large teeth and aggressive nature. Freshly caught specimens snap viciously. Wolffishes have even been known to attack people in shallow rock pools in Maine!

Atlantic wolffish with diver

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Wolffish close-up

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Eelpout family Famille des lycodes Zoarcidae This family contains more than 65 species living on the bottom of the world's oceans. They are elongate, slender fishes with long heads, gill membranes joined to the isthmus, and very long dorsal and anal fins which are continuous with the tail fin and which are mostly composed of soft rays. The pelvic fins are spineless and jugular in position. The presence of the pelvics readily distinguishes most members of this eel-shaped family from the freshwater eels. The wolffish is somewhat similar but has molar teeth. In the northwest Atlantic, at least 15 species are reported; 1 is of interest here.

OCEAN POUT Loquette d' Amerique Macrozoarces americanus (Schneider, 1801)

Other names. Muttonfish, conger eel (not the true conger eel), laughing jack, eelpout, mother of eels, catfish, sea-cat, ling, congo eel, blenny. Identification. Distinguished from other eelpouts by having pelvic fins and the rear part of the dorsal fin bearing short, stiff rays so that the dorsal and tail fins do not appear to join. The mouth is large, with the lower jaw shorter than the upper. The teeth are blunt, conical, and strong and are found in two rows at the front of both jaws and one row at the sides. The dorsal fin begins on the head and has over 100 rays. The anal fin also has at least 100 rays. The pectoral fins are large. The tail is pointed. Scales are so small 175

that the skin feels smooth under a layer of mucus. There is no swimbladder, and the ocean pout is confined to the sea floor. Colour. Yellow to brown with grey to green mottlings, fading to a white or yellowish belly. Lips a dull yellow. Dorsal fin darker than the anal and with a yellow margin. The rear of the dorsal and anal fins can be an orange-red. Pectorals red or orange. Distribution. From Battle Harbour in southern Labrador and south to North Carolina.

0

Size. Up to

1.1

m and 5.4 kg.

Biology. The ocean pout is a hard-bottom fish found in shallow water in spring and returning to deeper water in the fall. Its diet includes small fish and invertebrates, including sea urchins, brittle stars, molluscs, and sea squirts. Very large eggs (6-7 mm) numbering up to 4200 are laid in masses and hatch in 2-3 months after spawning in the fall. The eggs are guarded by the parents. Ocean pouts may live up to 18 years. They spend much of their lives concealed among seaweeds and rocks. Fishery. Not used in Canada but ocean pout were fished commercially in the United States before the presence of a parasite re-

duced sales. The 1988 catch in the western Atlantic weighed 1811 tonnes. The flesh is white and tasty and contains few bones. Ocean pout may be a nuisance when fishing for other species as they can cause great tangles of line and slime. They may be taken by anglers fishing over rocky bottoms from boats. They bite readily on bait such as clams and fish.

Mackerel family Famille des maquereaux Scombridae The mackerel family contains about 49 species, of which 12 are reported from the northwest Atlantic. Three of these are considered here. Family members are found in oceans around the world and vary in size from the small mackerel to the immense tunas. Their chief feature is an adaptation for rapid swimming: the body being terete, tail fins being strongly forked or lunate, the caudal peduncle being narrow and keeled, and in some species the dorsal and anal fins being recessible into grooves as a streamlining mechanism. Bluefin tuna have been clocked at 88 km/hour in short bursts and have travelled as much as 8ooo km in 50 days. There are 2 dorsal fins, a spiny first fin and a soft-rayed second fin which breaks up into £inlets near the tail. The anal fin also has £inlets near the tail. The pelvic fins have 1 spine and 5 soft rays. The scales are small and cycloid. Gill membranes are not attached to the throat. Tunas maintain a body temperature 1oC or more above their surroundings using a heat-exchange structure known as the 'rete mirabile' or 'miraculous net.' Blood going to the gills and skin gives up its heat to blood going to the deep muscles, which are thus kept considerably warmer than the sea. This feature enables the warmth-loving species to travel farther north. Some species must swim constantly to keep a flow of oxygengiving water over the gills, especially since their muscles are densely packed and there is no swimbladder. 0

Literature Carey, F.G., and J.M. Teal. 1966. Why is a tuna warm? Oceanus, 13(1):8-11. A simple explanation of the rete mirabile.

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Collette, B.B., and C.E. Nauen. 1983. FAO Species Catalogue. Volume 2. Scombrids of the World. An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Tunas, Mackerels, Bonitos and Related Species Known to Date. Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome, Fisheries Synopsis, 125:137 p.

ATLANTIC BONITO Bonite a dos raye Sarda sarda (Bloch, 1793)

Other names. Bonito, common bonito, skipjack, belted bonito, Boston mackerel, bone jack, horse mackerel, bloater, katonkel. Identification. Atlantic bonito are distinguished by a large mouth extending back past the eye (unlike the bluefin tuna, which has the mouth ending under the front of the eye), second dorsal and anal fins longer than high (higher than long in the bluefin tuna), and absence of a space between the dorsal fins (a wide space in the Atlantic mackerel). The snout is pointed; teeth are found in both jaws and 2-4 large ones may be seen at the front of the lower jaw. Dorsal fin spines number 20-23 in a triangular first fin. There are 7-10 dorsal and 6-8 ventral £inlets on the caudal peduncle. The side of the caudal peduncle has a central keel with a smaller one above and below. The lateral line is wavy. Scales are limited to the pectoral region, forming a 'corselet.' Colour. Steel blue dorsally, becoming silvery on the lower flanks and belly. There are 5-20 dark blue bands on the upper flank sloping backwards.

Distribution. The Gulf of St Lawrence and the coast of Nova Scotia and New England and throughout the warmer parts of the Atlantic Ocean. Size. Up to 0.93 m. The world, all-tackle angling record from the Canary Islands in 1953 weighed 8.3 kg. Biology. This species is a stray from southern waters entering northern New England and Canadian waters from August to October. The Atlantic bonito is a surface-water species and spawns in June-July in southern waters. Food includes mackerel, herring, gaspereau, menhaden, silversides, squid, and shrimps. The bonito will skip and leap at the surface when chasing food. Fishery. Because of its relative rarity in Canada the Atlantic bonito is seldom fished for commercially. The 1988 catch in the northwest Atlantic weighed 89 tonnes. The flesh is light coloured and excellent to eat, whether baked or broiled. Commercial catches are usually canned. Bonito are usually found in schools 25-30 km offshore and can be caught by trolling, casting, jigging or live bait fishing using cut fish and strip baits. The speed and strength of this species make it an excellent sport fish. Literature Yoshida, H.0. 198o. Synopsis of Biological Data on Bonitos of the Genus Sarda. Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome, Fisheries Synopsis, 118:50 p.

ATLANTIC MACKEREL Maquereau bleu Scomber scombrus Linnaeus, 1758

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Other names. Common mackerel, mackerel, tacks, tinkers. Identification. The large space between the dorsal fins and the characteristic wavy bands on the upper flank serve to identify the mackerel. There is no median keel on the side of the caudal peduncle but two short keels. The head is pointed. The mouth extends back to the middle of the eye. Teeth are small and thin. There is an adipose eyelid. The 10-14 spines of the first dorsal fin can be depressed into a groove. The second dorsal fin has 9-15 soft rays and is followed by 4-6 £inlets, and there are 4-6 £inlets following the anal fin, which has 1 spine and 10-14 soft rays. The tail fin is forked but not lunate. Scales are so small that the skin feels smooth. Scales are larger around the pectoral fin. Colour. Up to 33 dark wavy bands on the back extend down to the body midline. The back and top of the head are dark blue, blue-green, or almost black. The sides, gill covers, and jaws are silvery and iridescent. The belly is silvery-white. Fins are dusky. Both flanks and belly may have a copper tinge. The iridescence and brilliant colours fade rapidly after death. Distribution. From southern Labrador through the southern Gulf of St Lawrence and Nova Scotia to North Carolina. Also in Europe.

0

18o

Size. Up to 56 cm and 3.4 kg. Small mackerel, under 0.5 kg, sought by anglers in the Fundy region are called 'tinkers.' The world, all-tackle angling record, caught in 1989 at Cape Cod, Massachusetts, weighed 0.96 kg.

Biology. The mackerel is an open-sea species which moves inshore in spring. Mackerel schools may be up to a 1 km wide by 32 km long. They prefer warmer water of about 8°C or above, and retreat to deeper water at the onset of winter. The main overwintering area is south and southwest of Georges Bank at 70-210 m. Their abundance in northern waters is related to warm years. From 188o to the 193os they were virtually absent from Newfoundland but the catch increased sharply in the late 1940s. Extensive migrations have been recorded when tagged fish have been recaptured. Magdalen Island fish have been recovered from the Massachusetts coast. Mackerel schools often travel with herring schools. The main spawning area in northern waters is the southern Gulf of St Lawrence. Spawning occurs in June-July at 12°C, and up to 546,000 eggs are shed by each female in the open ocean. Mackerel may live up to 18 years and some mature as early as 1 or 2 years although most do so by 4 years. Food consists mainly of plankton but also includes small fish and other organisms. The plankton is filtered out of the water by the numerous fine gill rakers but larger plankters are actively pursued. Mackerel are eaten by all the larger predators in the sea. Fishery. The mackerel is an important commercial fish and is caught in traps, weirs, purse seines, otter trawls, pound nets, gill nets, and by jigging. Bar seines, which close off the mouth of a cove, are also used. The 1988 catch in the northwest Atlantic weighed 78,975 tonnes; the 1973 catch was 420,000 tonnes. Mackerel are marketed fresh, frozen, canned in oil, salted, smoked, and pickled. They are popular bait for other species, like swordfish. Since the flesh is oily, they do not keep as well as most fish. The outer muscle is red and the inner muscle lighter. The flesh is firm, free of bones, and has an excellent flavour. Overfishing has reduced the numbers of mackerel but also recruitment varies markedly. Commercially caught mackerel are usually 25-40 cm long and weigh 200-700 g. Most of the catch is made inshore with small boats, using purse seines, gill nets, trap weirs, and bar seines. The Canadian catch was worth over $9 million in 1987. Almost any bait will capture mackerel, especially if it is moved,

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and in a feeding frenzy mackerel will strike at bare hooks. Spoons, spinners, jigs, and flies are also used with success. Chumming is an effective means of attracting mackerel to the fishing area. Times of rising or high tides are the best for catching mackerel. A party boat might bring in several hundred fish, but mackerel can also be caught from wharves and in harbours. Mackerel is the third most preferred of all fish by anglers in Prince Edward Island and is the major shoreline species in Nova Scotia. Mackerel fight well, but do not leap like their larger relatives. Literature Ahrens, M.A. 1985. Atlantic Mackerel. Underwater World, Communications Directorate, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ottawa. 6 p. Catalogue number Fs 41-33/17-1985E. MacKay, K.T. 1967. An Ecological Study of Mackerel Scomber scombrus (Linnaeus) in the Coastal Waters of Canada. Fisheries Research Board of Canada Technical Report No. 31:x + 127 p. - 1979. Synopsis of Biological Data of the Northern Population Atlantic Mackerel, Scomber scombrus. Fisheries and Marine Service Technical Report (Canada), 885:26 p.

Mackerel catch

BLUEFIN TUNA Thon rouge Thunnus thynnus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Other names. Tunny, Atlantic bluefin, albacore, giant tuna, horse mackerel, great albacore, bluefin, black fish, short-finned tuna. Identification. Distinguished from the mackerel and bonito by the second dorsal fin being higher than long and the closeness of the two dorsal fins. Of course, tuna are much larger than mackerel and easily distinguished by size. The head is conical and the lower jaw projects slightly. The mouth extends back to the front of the eye and has one row of teeth on each jaw. The caudal peduncle is slender, with a strong central keel on each side and a smaller one above and below. The first dorsal fin has 12-14 spines, the second dorsal 1 spine and 13-15 soft rays, and there are 8-10 dorsal £inlets. There are 8-10 £inlets ventrally behind the anal fin. A lateral line is present. Scales are found over the whole body but a 'corselet' of modified scales is present near the pectoral fin. Colour. Dark blue, blue-green, or green above, shading to grey, yellow, or yellow-brown with silver spots. Dorsal and ventral £inlets are tinged with yellow and have black edges. Young bluefin have white bars and spots along the flanks which disappear with age.

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Distribution. Rarely in southern Labrador, south into the Gulf of St Lawrence, off Nova Scotia and the Gulf of Maine on to Brazil. Worldwide in warmer waters.

Size. Up to 4.34 m and 910 kg. The world-record rod-caught bluefin tuna, caught off Aulds Cove, Nova Scotia, on 26 October 1979, weighed 679 kg and measured 3.04 m. Biology. Tuna are warmwater species, and schools visit northern waters in summer from late June to the fall, after spawning in the warm Gulf of Mexico. They travel up to 130 km per day on this journey, and specimens tagged in the Bahamas have been recaptured in Newfoundland. Large females shed 6o million eggs during the spawning season. Tuna eat schooling fish, such as herring, mackerel, and capelin, as well as silver hake, salmon, and squid. Their concentration near shore is probably related to the availability of these schooling species. They live up to 38 years, and most spawners are 10 years or older. Besides man, the killer whale is the chief enemy of tuna. Fishery. Commercial catches have been made with traps, weirs, longlines, purse seines, by harpooning, and by trawls. The 1988 catch in the northwest Atlantic weighed 1868 tonnes. Only rod and line fishing is allowed in Canada, but accidental catches in mack-

I

Bluefin tuna fishing

Diver with tuna

erel traps may be retained. In 1973 recreational and commercial boats began selling fresh-frozen tuna to Japan. The fish were caught using sport gear. Tuna ranching has been carried out in St Margaret's Bay, Nova Scotia. The tuna are trapped in 100 by 50 m sections of the bay and fed about 23 kg of mackerel and herring daily for several months. They are about 22 years old and weigh about 315 kg (having gained about 90 kg), when harvested and flown to Japan. In 1979, 948 tuna were fattened in pens. Foreign fishing fleets have increased their catch in recent years and may be depleting reproductive stocks. Catches are regulated by international agreement on the high seas, and in the Gulf of St Lawrence only rod and line may be used. The dark red flesh is excellent and may be eaten raw in thin slices as sashimi or cooked much like meat by braising or grilling. Some tuna is canned. Large fish have usually accumulated mercury levels exceeding the limits allowed by US and Canadian authorities and are not sold. The occurrence of bluefins in Canada is variable, and the famous International Tuna Cup Matches held off Wedgeport, Nova Scotia, from 1937 to 1976 have had to be cancelled. The Gulf of St Lawrence is now a centre for the sport fishery and North Lake, Prince Edward Island, claims the title 'Tuna Capital of the World.' Tuna arrive off the Maritimes of Canada as early as May but most angling takes place in July and August. Along with the swordfish the tuna is the most dramatic and superior game fish that can be caught in Atlantic Canada and New England. Fish weighing over 450 kg are reported at intervals in newspapers and can take as long as 12 hours to subdue. Trolling with live or dead mackerel, herring, or squid is used to catch this species. Artificial lures and still fishing with bait are also successful. Chumming with fresh herring attracts the bluefin to specially equipped boats designed to capture this large fish. Water temperature is important for fishing success. Below 10°C tuna do not feed readily so trolling is unsuccessful in cooler weather. Literature Bayliff, W.H. (Ed.). 198o. Synopses of Biological Data on Eight Species of Scombrids. Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission Special Report No. 2, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, La Jolla, Calif. 530 p. A complete summary of the biology of bluefin tuna. Beardsley, G.L. 1977. Bluefin tuna: Vulnerable giant. Sea Frontiers, 23(1):9-15. International measures for conservation of bluefins.

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Butler, M.J.A. 1982. Plight of the bluefin tuna. National Geographic, August, 220-239. Clay, D., and Hurlbut, T. 1985. Bluefin Tuna. Underwater World, Communications Branch, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ottawa 6 p. Catalogue number Fs 41-33/55 1988E. Probyn, A.S. 1985. Bluefin in the balance. Equinox, 23:24-39. A popular account of bluefin ranching and biology. Sakagawa, G.T. 1975. The Purse-Seine Fishery for Bluefin Tuna in the Northwestern Atlantic Ocean. Marine Fisheries Review, 37(3):8 p.

Swordfish family Famille des espadons Xiphiidae This family contains only a single species found throughout the Atlantic Ocean except in the colder waters near the Arctic and Antarctic oceans. It is easily recognized by the great prolongation of the upper jaw and snout into a 'sword.' The absence of pelvic fins and, in adults, teeth and scales is also characteristic.

SWORDFISH Espadon Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758

Other names. Broadbill, billfish, broadbill swordfish, albacore. Identification. The 'sword' is the most characteristic and distinctive feature of this species. It is flattened, hence the name 'broadbill,' and may be as long as one-third of the total body length. The first dorsal fin is higher than long, with a strongly concave posterior edge. The second dorsal fin is minute by comparison and lies on the caudal peduncle over a second anal fin of comparable size. The first anal fin is similar in shape to the first dorsal fin but smaller. The tail fin is large and crescentic. The side of the caudal peduncle has a large, median keel. The pectoral fins are rigid, scythe-shaped, and very low on the body. The eye and mouth are large. Gill membranes are united and free from the isthmus. Colour. Dark purple with metallic reflections, dark brown, bronze, or black on the back, dusky on the belly. The sword is black above and lighter below, and the fins are dark with silvery reflections. The young fish have barred flanks. Distribution. From the northern tip of Newfoundland, the southern Gulf of St Lawrence, and southwards.

188

Size. Up to 4.96 m and 675 kg. The world-record rod-caught swordfish from Chile in 1953 weighed 536.15 kg. Biology. A pelagic fish of open waters although the swordfish may pursue food inshore. It can swim at speeds up to 96 km/hour. It prefers temperatures warmer than about 16°C but may occur at lower temperatures, and arrives in northern waters in early June, leaving in mid-September or as late as mid-October. No spawning occurs in the cold northern waters. Spawning takes place off Florida and southward, and up to 5 million eggs are produced. Herring, mackerel, tunas, dolphinfishes, flyingfishes, barracudas, butterfish, silver hake, cod, redfish, flatfish, and squid are among the recorded food items. The sword is used for defence and is slashed vigorously to stun and kill food. Swordfish have few enemies, apart perhaps from killer whales and large sharks, but are pestered by remoras and parasites and may jump to remove them. Fishery. Swordfish often swim with their dorsal and tail fin tips projecting from the water so they were easily detected and harpooned. Since 1962 longlines have been used and swordfish may also be caught in traps. Sale of swordfish was prohibited in Canada in 1971 because of high mercury levels. A peak Canadian catch of 7500 tonnes was made in 1963 but the catch declined to 4000-5000 tonnes between 1965 and 1971. The Canadian prohibition was lifted in 1979 but limited consumption is advised. The 1988 catch in the northwest Atlantic weighed 3282 tonnes. The flesh is fat, firm, white, and delicious. It is available fresh, frozen, or canned and can be grilled as steaks, baked, or smoked. Harpooned swordfish have been reported to attack dories or other small boats, driving their swords through the planking and even once into the leg of a fisherman. One attacked the submersible Alvin at 6o5 m and became jammed by its sword in the plastic fairing over the steel pressure hull. (After surfacing safely the crew ate the fish!) Anglers may catch this solitary species by presenting trolled baits to sighted fish or by using deeply drifting baits at night. The soft mouth makes setting the hook securely difficult; the sword will often break the line and the fish is a strong leaper. These difficulties enhance the status of this fish for sport fisher-

Swordfish

190

men. Swordfish are more easily fished from a fighting chair in the stem of a boat, the boat itself being manoeuvred to help in a capture which may take many tiring hours. Literature Gordon, B.L. 1979. Sword-bearer of the seas. Sea Frontiers, 25(6): 357-363. A biology of the swordfish. Palko, B.J., G.L. Beardsley, and W.J. Richards. 1981. Synopsis of the biology of the Swordfish, Xiphias gladius Linnaeus. NOAA Technical Report, National Marine Fisheries Service Circular, Washington, DC, 441:21 P· Tibbo, SN., L.R. Day, and W.F. Doucet. 1961. The Swordfish (Xiphias gladius L.), Its Life-history and Economic Importance in the Northwest Atlantic. Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Bulletin 130:vi + 47 p. General scientific account of swordfish biology in Canada. Zarudzki, E.F.K. 1967. Swordfish rams the 'Alvin.' Oceanus, 13(4): 14-18. Readable account with pictorial records of other swordfish attacks.

Butterfish family Famille des stromatees Stromateidae This family contains about 13 species found in the Americas, West Africa, and southern Asia. In the northwest Atlantic 1 species is common. These fishes are characterized by an oesophagus with lateral sacs which usually contain teeth; the small, loose scales are cycloid. They are deep-bodied fishes with long dorsal fins, and the pelvic fins are absent in adults.

191

BUTTERFISH Stromatee

a fossettes

Peprilus triacanthus (Peck, 18o4)

Other names. Dollarfish, shiner, harvest-fish, short-finned harvestfish, sheepshead, skipjack, starfish, pumpkinseed, lafayette, cryptous broad shiner, butters. Identification. The butterfish is distinguished from other spinyrayed fishes in Atlantic Canada and the Gulf of Maine by the 2-4 weak spines in each of the dorsal and anal fins, with the first spine pointing forwards, and by the series of pores under the anterior part of the dorsal fin. There are no pelvic fins, the tail is deeply forked, and the mouth is small. The body is compressed and oval, the head is short, there is only one row of weak teeth in each jaw, and the lower jaw projects. The eye is large and surrounded by fatty tissue. Both the dorsal and anal fins are long, with many soft rays following the 3 spines. The scales extend onto parts of the head and bases of the dorsal, anal, and tail fins. The lateral line is high on the side. Colour. Bluish, greenish, or dark grey above, fading to a silvery belly. Back and upper ventral surface often mottled with dark spots. Distribution. From the Gulf of St Lawrence and the east and south coasts of Newfoundland southwards to Florida.

192

Size. Up to 30.5 cm. Biology. The butterfish swims over sandy or mud bottoms during the warmer months of May-November, retreating to deeper water in winter. Spawning occurs in the summer, and the small eggs (o.8 mm) float supported by an oil globule. They can hatch in about 2 days. The young butterfish often live among the tentacles of jellyfish, where they are protected from predators and have a source of food. Large butterfish feed on small fish and crustaceans. They are mature when 2 years old and as small as 120 mm, but may live perhaps as long as 6 years. Butterfish are eaten by haddock, silver hake, swordfish, and bluefish.

Young butterfish

Fishery. This fish is caught in traps, weirs, otter trawls, and purse seines but is not commercially important in Canada, unlike in the United States. The northwest Atlantic catch weighed 2016 tonnes in 1988, but 19,454 tonnes in 1973. Butterfish are delicious to eat, being fat and oily, and are often smoked. They will take a hook baited with a small piece of clam or worm, but are of little angling value.

Literature Murawski, S.A., D.G. Frank, and S. Chang. 1978. Biological and Fisheries Data on Butterfish, Peprilus triacanthus (Peck). Sandy Hook Laboratory, Northeast Fisheries Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Highlands, NJ, Technical Series Report No. 6:v + 39 p. A complete review of the biology of the butterfish.

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Scorpionfish family Famille des rascasses Scorpaenidae The scorpionfish, redfish, or rockfish family comprises about 310 species found in all tropical and temperate seas. In the northwest Atlantic 6 species are known, but only 1 is liable to be encountered by sport fishermen. This low diversity contrasts markedly with the North Pacific Ocean, where the genus Sebastes has about 100 speci~s. Many scorpionfishes are important food species. The family is characterized by having a suborbital stay or bone connecting a bone under the eye to the preopercle so the cheek is bony, a preopercle with 4 or 5 spines, the opercle with 2 spines, the head generally spiny and ridged, the spiny and soft parts of the dorsal fin continuous, 3 or 4 anal fin spines, and in life often a red body colour. Gill membranes are free from the throat. Scales are ctenoid. The eggs develop for some time in the female and live young are born in Sebastes species. Some tropical members of the family have extremely venomous fin spines.

RED FISHES Sebastes Sebastes sp.

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Other names. Acadian redfish, deepwater redfish, golden redfish, ocean perch, rosefish, red sea perch, bream, beaked redfish, sharpbeaked redfish, Norway haddock, Norwegian redfish, berghilt, red bream, sea bream, redperch, soldier, redbarsch, rosefish, sebaste atlantique, sebaste rose, sebaste orange, poisson rouge, chevre, rascasse du nord. Identification. Three species of 'redfish' are known from the northwest Atlantic but some distinguishing characters have only recently been described by scientists and the three cannot be readily distinguished in the field. Dissection and biochemical studies are needed for a correct identification in some cases. As a result, most literature referred to a single species, Sebastes norvegicus (Ascanius, 1772) (golden redfish, sebaste orange), and it is not clear what biology and fishery information applies correctly to this species and what to the other species. The two other species are Sebastes fasciatus Storer, 1854 (Acadian redfish, sebaste d' Acadie) and Sebastes mentella Travin, 1951 (deepwater redfish, sebaste atlantique). S. fasciatus is found in shallow water and ranges further south than the others, being the most numerous redfish on Georges Bank and in the Bay of Fundy. S. norvegicus is a more northerly and eastern species and probably the rarest, and S. mentella is a deepwater fish found further north and further offshore than the others. The 'redfishes' are distinguished from other fishes in Atlantic Canada and New England by their bright red, orange, or yellowred colour, the large eyes, and the 5-spined preopercle. The mouth is terminal and oblique and extends back under the eye. The lower jaw projects. Teeth are in bands on the jaws and roof of the mouth. The large eyes have a bony ridge over them on the head. The dorsal fin has 13-17 strong spines and 13-16 soft rays. The anal fin has 3 or 4 spines and 6-10 soft rays. The pelvic fins, each having a strong spine, lie just behind the pectoral fin base. The tail fin is obviously small and its edge is concave. There is a lateral line, and the body and much of the head are scaled. Colour. The body colour in life is red, sometimes a grey or brownred. The belly is paler than the flanks. The eyes are noticeably black. The gill cover may have a dusky blotch and blotching may be found on the back and dorsal fin.

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Distribution. Generally from the Arctic through Maritime Canada to New Jersey and perhaps Virginia. I

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Size. Up to 8o cm and 8.8 kg. Biology. These fishes favour deeper water and are only common at the relatively warmer temperatures of 3-8°C in 200-500 m. A colder layer of water above these depths is a barrier to redfish and so they do not usually come onto the shallower banks. However, redfish may be found in much shallower water (10 m) in the Bay of Fundy outside the normal 100-750 m range. They are found near rock and mud bottoms during the day but are pelagic at night. A female releases up to 40,000 live young from March to September. Young redfish up to a length of 2.5 cm can be found in surface waters; larger ones descend to the bottom. Life span is 48 years. Redfish feed mainly on euphausiids, a type of crustacean, but also eat small fishes and other pelagic crustaceans. Halibut and cod are predators of redfish. Fishery. All three species of redfish are caught in the northwest Atlantic but the commercial catch in Canada appears to be mostly Sebastes fasciatus. For fisheries purposes all three species are

lumped together and often sold under the name 'ocean perch.' They used to be caught by otter trawl during the day when they are on the bottom but mid-water trawling is now employed. The slow growth (2.0-2.5 cm per year) of these fish makes them vulnerable to overfishing. The commercial catch is 20-41 cm long and averages about 0.5 kg. In 1988 the northwest Atlantic catch of redfishes was 148,058 tonnes. This catch is sold frozen as ocean perch fillets and as sticks and portions. Some is canned. The flesh is medium-fat. An angler is only likely to encounter this species in the Bay of Fundy or Gulf of Maine, or on his plate. Redfish have been caught through the ice inside the mouth of the Saint John River estuary. They do not put up much of a fight when hooked.

Sculpin family Famille des chabots Cottidae Sculpins are found in fresh and salt waters, predominantly in North America, Europe, and Asia. They have large heads and stout bodies. The mouth and eyes are large, and the preopercular bone on the side of the head bears strong spines. The spiny dorsal fin is followed by a soft-rayed fin. The pectoral fins are large and fan-like and the pelvic fins lie on the belly below the pectoral fin bases. The anal fin lacks spines. The skin is mostly smooth with some prickle-like scales in some species, particularly near the lateral line, and rows of scales in others. The adults lack a swimbladder and are bottom-dwellers. There are about 300 species in the world, and at least 16 occur on the northern Atlantic coast and in estuaries. Anglers may catch 6 of these, especially as they are often found scavenging around wharves. When caught or disturbed by divers the fins and spines are erected and can give a painful wound if the fish is mishandled. The mouth gapes open to give the illusion of greater size and ferocity. The sea raven can inflate its belly with air or water when caught and when air-filled cannot submerge immediately when returned to the water. Sculpins eat a variety of bottom invertebrates, such as crustaceans, 197

molluscs, worms, sea urchins, squids, and sea squirts, and fishes such as herring, silver hake, tomcod, eels, gaspereau, cunner, mummichogs, mackerel, and smelt. They are little used except as lobster bait, but can be used for fish soups and larger specimens will make fillets. The Arctic staghorn and Arctic sculpins are very common along the Labrador coast. The former is also found along the North Shore of the Gulf of St Lawrence and south even to Maine but these two species are not commonly found in the warmer, more-populated areas of southern Canada and New England. The Arctic sculpin has an antifreeze in its blood and can survive under ice cover at -1.4°C. The sea raven, longhorn sculpin, and grubby are found mostly from the Gulf of St Lawrence south to US waters. The grubby is often seen in the intertidal zone and in tide pools. The shorthorn sculpin is found from Arctic seas south to New York.

ARCTIC SCULPIN Chaboisseau arctique

Myoxocephalus scorpioides (Fabricius,

1780)

Identification. Obvious fleshy flaps over the eyes; pectoral fin rays usually 14-16; upper preopercular spine straight and about twice as long as the one below; first dorsal spines relatively flexible and first dorsal fin origin not in front of the end of the operculum; anal fin rays 10-14; snout sharper and narrower than in the shorthorn sculpin. Up to 30 cm.

ARCTIC STAGHORN SCULPIN Tricorne arctique Gymnocanthus tricuspis (Reinhardt, 1832)

Identification. Upper preopercular spine broad, often with 2 or 3 spines at the tip, roof of mouth without teeth, anal fin origin in front of second dorsal fin origin, upper comer of gill cover rounded. Up to 30 cm.

GRUBBY Chaboisseau bronze Myoxocephalus aenaeus (Mitchill, 1814)

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Identification. Spines over eyes, upper preopercular spine less than twice as long as the one below, first dorsal spines relatively stiff, spiny dorsal fin origin in front of the rear edge of the operculum, second dorsal fin rays 13-15, anal fin rays 10-12. Up to about 20cm.

LONGHORN SCULPIN Chaboisseau

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Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus (Mitchill, 1814)

Identification. Upper preopercular spine about 4 times as long as spine below it, second dorsal fin rays 15-17, anal fin rays 12-15. Up to 45.7 cm.

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SEA RAVEN Hemitriptere atlantique Hemitripterus americanus (Gmelin, 1789)

Identification. Head and chin with obvious fleshy flaps, skin rough, not smooth or spiny, large teeth in jaws, spiny dorsal fin irregular in shape and spine tips with flaps. Up to 63.5 cm.

SHORTHORN SCULPIN Chaboisseau

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Myoxocephalus scorpius (Linnaeus, 1758)

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Identification. Upper preopercular spine not more than twice as long as the one below it, pectoral fin rays usually 16-18, spines over eyes, first dorsal spines relatively flexible, the first dorsal fin origin obviously in front of the rear edge of the operculum. Up to

91 cm.

Lumpfish family Famille des poules de mer Cyclopteridae The lumpfish family comprises about 26 species in the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, and Antarctic oceans. In the northwest Atlantic there are 4 species, but only 1 is of interest here. Lumpfish and their relatives are easily distinguished from other fishes by the modification of the pelvic fin bases into a round sucker or adhesive organ on the belly between the pectoral fin bases and by the stout, scaleless body with a 'lumpy' outline. The lateral line is absent.

LUMPFISH Lompe

Cyclopterus lumpus Linnaeus, 1758

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Other names. Henfish, lump, lumpsucker, red lump, paddlecock, sea hen, sea cock, sea owl, seasnail, poule d' eau, grosse poule de mer. Identification. Distinguished from all other fishes in Atlantic Canada and New England by its ventral sucker and by having two dorsal fins, conical tubercles in the skin, the tail fin being separated from, rather than joined to, the dorsal and anal fins, and large gill openings reaching below the top of the pectoral fin base. The larger tubercles are in 7 rows, 3 on each side of the body and 1 along the middle of the back. The first dorsal fin in fish larger than about 3 cm is obscured by a jelly-like hump. Colour. Varies to match the background. Green, brown, and bluegrey shades are common on the back and upper sides. The belly is yellow to white. Breeding males have a bright red belly. Distribution. In northern waters on both sides of the Atlantic. From Hudson Bay and Baffin Island south throughout Atlantic Canada and New England to Chesapeake Bay and Bermuda.

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Size. Up to 61 cm for a female and 33 cm for a male. Maximum recorded weight is 9.6 kg.

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Biology. Lumpfish are found on rocky bottoms at spawning time but may also hide under floating seaweed. The sucker enables them to adhere to rocks and traps. They migrate to shallow waters from April onwards and return to deeper water or mid-waters as late as October. Lumpfish feed on crustaceans, worms, jellyfish, and some fishes, such as herrings and sand lances. Seals are notable predators of lumpfish. Spawning occurs in shallow water during June and July, and egg masses adhere to rocks. Egg masses may be black to brown, red, pink, orange, yellow, green, or purple. The male is much smaller than the female but he guards the eggs, which may number an estimated 279,620. He may drive off much larger and fiercer species like the wolffish. During a 6-8-week incubation period, the male fans the eggs with his fins to keep them oxygenated and clean. The male does not feed at this time. Life span is 14 years. Fishery. Sufficient numbers of this species were found in Newfoundland to support a commercial fishery for roe of about 200 tonnes in 1972, but catches are usually in the 2-4 tonne range for Canada. The fish are caught inshore in gill nets during the spawning migrations to shallow water. Lumpfish has been used as dog and pig food and as bait for lobster traps. It is not sought after by anglers but in Newfoundland it is regarded in some communities as a delicacy, better than salmon, herring, or mackerel. The flesh is fat, oily, and rich. An excellent caviar can be made from the eggs, which are sieved, drained, and salted before packing in plastic containers. The caviar is coloured red or black and has been sold to Denmark and West Germany. The northwest Atlantic harvest of this fish attained 2385 tonnes in 1983 but was only 319 tonnes in 1988. Literature Anderson, R.D. 1975. The ungainly lumpfish. Sea Frontiers, 21(5): 291-293. A short, popular account of lumpfish biology. Collins, M.A.J. 1976. The lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus L.) in Newfoundland waters. Canadian Field-Naturalist, 90:64-67. A brief, scientific account of Canadian populations. Davenport, J. 1985. Synopsis of Biological Data on the Lumpsucker Cyclopterus lumpus (Linnaeus, 1758). Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome, Fisheries Synopsis 147:vi + 31 p.

Gavaris, S. 1985. Lumpfish. Underwater World, Communications Directorate, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ottawa. 4 p. Catalogue number Fs 41-33/ 45-1985E. Witman, J. 1978. The nesting of the lumpfish. Sea Frontiers, 24(5): 302-3o6. The description of male behaviour in defence of the eggs.

Lefteye flounder family Famille des turbots Bothidae Both the lefteye and righteye flounder families are immediately recognizable since they belong to that group of fishes known as the flatfishes because of their body shape and mode of life on the sea bottom. Their principal feature is an asymmetry, in which the normally shaped young develop into adults which live and swim on one side. The eye on the underside migrates around to the top side, and this process involves major structural reorganization of bones, muscles, and nerves. This transformation from the normal is most unusual but is a great success since there are over 500 species of flatfishes, some of them very important commercially. The lefteye flounders have eyes and pigmentation on their left side, which is uppermost in life. The lower, blind side is usually white but occasionally may show partial pigmentation. Lefteye flounders are also distinguished from the righteye flounders by having an oil globule in their eggs. There are about 212 species of lefteye flounders in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans. In the northwest Atlantic about 15 species have been reported; 2 are dealt with here.

SUMMER FLOUNDER Cardeau d'ete Paralichthys dentatus (Linnaeus, 1766)

Other names. None. Identification. This species is identified among its northwest Atlantic relatives by the pelvic fin bases being short and not on the midline of the belly, 5 large ocelli (or eye spots), 16-24 total gill rakers (13-18 lower arm), a rounded tail, and small eyes. Scales are cycloid. Colour. Rare specimens may be reversed or 'right-handed,' with eyes and colour on the right side, and even retain colour on the blind side. Colour variable with the background from white to grey, olive, orange, pink, dark brown, and almost black. There are numerous eye spots but 5 are prominent, 2 near the dorsal fin base, 2 opposite near the anal fin base, and 1 in the middle on the lateral line. Distribution. Found from the LaHave Bank off Nova Scotia and south to Florida. Size. Reaches 1.23 m and 13.8 kg. The world, all-tackle angling record, caught at Montauk, New York, in 1975, weighed 10.17 kg. Biology. An uncommon species in Canadian waters with captures east of LaHave Bank, on the Scotian Shelf, and in Passamaquoddy 2o6

Bay; commoner in American waters. Reported down to 183 m but usually in shallow water. It has been reported from fresh water in the United States. Summer flounder come inshore in the summer in southern US waters (hence the common name) and retreat to deeper water in winter. An individual may pursue fish up to the water surface and even leap out of the water for a moment, an unusual behaviour for a flatfish. Other food includes a variety of crustaceans, squid, molluscs, and worms. Spawning occurs during an offshore migration in September-December north of Chesapeake Bay. Eggs are up to 1.1 mm in diameter and are pelagic. Fishery. An important sport and commercial species in the United States. Anglers catch this flounder by bottom fishing with bait from shore and from boats. The recreational fishery in the United States catches mostly 1-2-year-old fish. The summer flounder puts up a good fight. The average catch is o.8 kg. This species is harvested offshore and sold under the name 'sole' with more common species.

WINDOWPANE Turbot de sable Scophthalmus aquosus (Mitchill, 1815)

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Other names. Brill, spotted flounder, spotted turbot, sand dab, sundial, New York plaice, sand flounder, turbot. Identification. This is the only common flounder in shallow waters of Atlantic Canada and New England which has eyes on the left side. The side can be determined by holding the fish as if it were swimming upright with the mouth below; left and right then correspond to these sides in a normal fish. The body shape is almost circular and very thin, so specimens are almost translucent when fresh (hence their English name of 'windowpane'). The first 10-15 rays of the dorsal fin are scarcely joined by a membrane and are branched at their tips. The mouth is large and oblique, extending back under the front edge of the pupil. The tail fin is rounded. The pelvic fins are as wide at the base as they are at the tip. The pectoral fin on the blind side is smaller than that on the eyed side. The lateral line is arched above the pectoral fin. Scales are smooth and cover the body and posterior part of the head. Colour. Body and fins are red-olive or grey-brown and are covered with many irregular-shaped spots on the eye side. The blind side is white and is sometimes blotched. Distribution. Southern Gulf of St Lawrence and southern Newfoundland south around Nova Scotia and on to Florida. I I

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Biology. Windowpanes live in shallow water over sandy bottoms. Apparently they favour warmer waters for reproduction, which occurs in early summer in northern waters. The eggs float with the aid of the oil globule. Windowpanes live at least 7 years and are mature at 3-4 years. Small windowpanes eat small crustaceans but larger fish eat sand shrimp, crabs, and amphipods and small fishes such as tomcod, herring, smelt, sand lances, hake, pollock, and striped bass.

Fishery. There is no commercial fishery for this species in Canada. The 1988 catch in the northwest Atlantic weighed 2549 tonnes. The windowpane's thin body makes filleting difficult, but it is an edible species which may be caught by anglers from the shore and in shallow water.

Righteye flounder family Famille des plies Pleuronectidae Righteye flounders lie on their left sides with eyes and pigment on the right or upper side. Rare individuals may be reversed, with eyes and pigment on the left side. Some fish may even be partially pigmented with only half the blind side dark. As in lefteye flounders, the eyes can be elevated slightly and moved independently to increase the area which can be seen. There is no oil globule in the eggs. There are about 99 species found in the Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific oceans and rarely in fresh waters. The northwest Atlantic has 7 principal species, which are described here. Literature

Brunel, P. 1971. Deux cas d'ambicoloration partielle chez la plie, Hippoglossus platessoides (Pisces, Heterosomata), dans le Golfe du SaintLaurent. Naturaliste canadien, 98:937-939. A Canadian case of partial coloration. Policansky, D. 1982. The asymmetry of flounders. Scientific American, May, 116-122. Discussion of 'handedness' in flatfishes.

ATLANTIC HALIBUT Fletan atlantique Hippoglossus hippoglossus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Other names. Common halibut, giant halibut, grey, cherry belly, chicken halibut (small), whale halibut (large). Identification. This species is characterized by its concave tail, which is unique among the species of flatfishes described here. Only Greenland halibut have a similar tail but the lateral line is arched in the Atlantic halibut and straight in the Greenland halibut. The mouth is large and extends back under the front or middle of the eye. The lower jaw projects, and there are strong teeth in both jaws. The dorsal fin begins above the eye. Just before the anal fin is a spine-like bone, which is covered by skin in larger specimens. The head and body are covered by scales and slimy mucus. The pectoral fin on the eyed side is pointed and larger than the rounded one on the blind side. The lateral line arches strongly over the pectoral fin. Colour. The eyed side is greenish to dark brown, including the fins. The blind side is white in small fish and mottled grey ('greys'). Larger fish with a reddish blind side are called 'cherry bellies' or 'cherries.' Distribution. From northern Labrador south through Atlantic Canada to Virginia. Also found in Europe.

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Size. Up to 4.7 m and 330 kg. The world, all-tackle angling record, from off Gloucester, Massachusetts, in 1989, weighed 115.78 kg. Biology. There is some movement onshore in summer and offshore in winter where colder conditions prevail. More extensive migrations have been recorded for tagged fish, from Anticosti Island to Iceland, a distance of over 2500 km, but most fish appear to remain in a restricted area. Halibut inhabit hard bottoms of sand, gravel, or clay, usually at 16o-230 m and preferred temperatures of 3-9°C. Spawning occurs in February-May at over 18o m and down to 1000 m. Large females produce in excess of 3.5 million eggs, which float at depths greater than 54 m, not at the surface. Female halibut grow larger than males and live longer, perhaps to 45 years. Males mature at 7-11 years and 66-100 cm, females at 10-12 years and 70-115 cm. Halibut feed on invertebrates and fish when small, and voraciously on fish after reaching 70-8o cm in length, in particular other flatfishes. They also eat a wide variety of other fish species. They forage for food throughout the water column. They are an important food item for Greenland sharks and seals. Fishery. Commercial operations take halibut on longlines and with

211

otter trawls and occasionally with handlines. This is the largest of the Atlantic flatfishes, the commercial catch varying in size from 2.3 to 56.0 kg. The value of halibut is high for a groundfish. They are sold fresh and frozen. The flesh has a good texture and quality with a delicate flavour. The liver is rich in vitamins and produces a high-quality oil. Total landings for waters around Newfoundland have seldom exceeded 1500 tonnes. The 1988 catch in the northwest Atlantic weighed 3349 tonnes. Because this species is at the top of the food chain and is thinly distributed, large catches are not possible. When hooked, halibut are very active; a large one can pull a boat around. The best fishing method is drifting, using heavy tackle and baits of fish, crabs, squid, and clams. Large diamond jigs can also be used. Literature Roy, J.-M. 1973. Les fletans. Poissons du Quebec. Direction generale des Peches maritimes, Ministere de l'Industrie et du Commerce du Quebec, Album Numero 9:20 p. Biology and fishery of the Atlantic and Greenland halibuts in Quebec. Zwanenburg, K. 1984. Atlantic Halibut. Underwater World, Communications Branch, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ottawa. 6 p. Catalogue number Fs 41-33/36 1984E.

CANADIAN PLAICE Plie canadienne Hippoglossoides platessoides (Fabricius, 1780)

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Other names. American plaice, plaice, long rough dab, sand dab, dab, blackback, roughback, flounder, sole, plie, faux fletan. Identification. The Canadian plaice is distinguished by a combination of characters, including a large mouth extending well back under the eye, an almost straight lateral line, and a rounded tail. There is one row of small, conical teeth in each jaw. A small bony ridge is found between the eyes. The dorsal fin begins just in front of the left eye. The anal fin has a spine-like bone in front of it. The lateral line has a slight arch over the pectoral fin. The scales of the eyed side have serrated edges so the fish feels rough to the touch. The blind side scales are smooth. Colour. Red- to grey-brown on eyed side and white or blue-white on the blind side. The tips of the dorsal and anal fins are white. Small fish have dark spots along the body margins. Distribution. From Baffin Island and northern Labrador south through Atlantic Canada to Rhode Island. Also found in Europe. I

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213

90-250 m. In winter they move to the deeper and warmer water and in spring and summer to a cold water layer inshore. Females produce up to 1.5 million buoyant eggs as early as April in the Bay of Fundy and in June-July in Labrador. The eggs are released near the bottom and float to the surface. Females mature at 40-45 cm and at least 11 years of age and outlive the smaller and slowergrowing males, which mature at 25-30 cm and 6 years of age. The oldest fish are about 26 years old, and size varies with locality. A 5-year-old is 39 cm long in Passamaquoddy Bay but only 14 cm in the Bay of Islands, Newfoundland. Small plaice eat small crustaceans, while larger fish eat sea urchins, sand dollars, molluscs, and sometimes almost exclusively small fishes. Plaice are a major item of diet for a variety of other fishes. Fishery. The Canadian plaice is the most common and commercially important flatfish. The fishery is almost entirely Canadian. Plaice are taken by otter trawls but some are caught by seines and longlines. They are most abundant on the northern half of the Grand Banks, and the largest catches are taken at 125-200 m in temperatures of -0.5 to 1.0°C. Average fish are 38-40 cm long and 0.9-1.4 kg and are marketed fresh or frozen as fillets. In 1988 the catch in the northwest Atlantic weighed 73,448 tonnes. With the witch, winter, summer, and yellowtail flounders, plaice are sold under the name 'sole'; this group of species is the most important groundfish catch after cod in Atlantic Canada. Canadian plaice make up about half of all flatfishes landed. Spawning leaves the flesh 'jellied' with too little protein and a watery composition. The protein is used up during egg production. Plaice do not take a baited hook as readily as other flatfishes. Since they also live mostly in deeper waters they are not much caught by anglers. Literature Pitt, T.K. 1989. American Plaice. Underwater World, Communications Directorate, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ottawa. 6 p. Catalogue number Fs 41-33/15-1989£. Biology and fisheries in Canada.

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GREENLAND HALIBUT Fletan du Groenland Reinhardtius hippoglossoides (Walbaum, 1792)

Other names. Turbot, Greenland turbot, Newfoundland turbot, mock halibut, black halibut, blue halibut, lesser halibut, bastard halibut. Identification. The Greenland halibut belongs to the righteye flounder family and can be distinguished from all other species except the Atlantic halibut by the concave tail, and from the Atlantic halibut by the straight, instead of arched, lateral line. The left eye is on the upper edge of the head. There is no spine in front of the anal fin, and the large mouth extends back beyond the lower eye. Colour. The eyed side is a blackish-grey or yellow-brown, and unusually the blind side is almost as dark. Size. Reaches

1.2

m and 44.5 kg.

Distribution. Ranges from the Arctic south through Atlantic Canada to Georges Bank in deep coastal waters. Also found in Europe and the North Pacific Ocean.

215

Biology. The Greenland halibut lives as deep as 2000 m, but large concentrations are found at 200-6oo m. Preferred temperatures are 1-3°C, so only strays are found in shallow waters of the Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of Maine. Females grow larger than males. Up to 300,000 eggs are laid in winter and early spring, and larvae live at depths of 6oo--1000 m until about 19 mm long, when they enter shallow waters. At 70 mm they return to the bottom and complete metamorphosis into the adult form. Life span is about 20 years for the largest and oldest fish, which are all females. Food may be pursued off the bottom and includes other flatfishes, capelin, and redfish as well as crustaceans and molluscs. Whales, seals, and sharks eat large Greenland halibut. Fishery. Catches are taken by otter trawls, longlines, and gill nets. The commercial catch weighs 4.5-111.5 kg. The total allowable catch for the main fishing area of Labrador to the Grand Bank was 100,000 tonnes for 1986. The value of the catch in the 198os averaged about $45 million. Greenland halibut is sold fresh, frozen, and salted, but the flesh has a high fat content and is delicious smoked. It is used in making sticks and portions and the liver is rich in vitamins. The official commercial name is 'Greenland turbot.' It lives too deep to be of wide interest to anglers.

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Literature Bowering, W.R. 1984. Turbot (Greenland Halibut). Underwater World, Communications Branch, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ottawa. 5 p. Catalogue number Fs 41-33/24 1984E. A readable account of the biology and fishery of the Greenland halibut in Canada.

SMOOTH FLOUNDER Plie lisse

Pleuronectes putnami (Gill, 1864)

Other names. Eelback flounder, blackback, smoothback flounder, foolfish, Christmas flounder, plaice. Identification. Smooth flounders have their eyes on the right side, a small mouth, and a straight lateral line. The witch flounder has about twice as many dorsal and anal fin rays, and the unique sensory pits on the blind side of the head. The winter flounder has scales between the eyes while the smooth flounder does not, and anal rays differ (35-41 in the smooth, 44-58 in the winter flounder). The yellowtail flounder is distinctively coloured and has an arched lateral line. In the smooth flounder the jaws do not extend back past the eye, and there are two rows of teeth on the left jaw but none on the right jaw. The dorsal fin has 48-59 rays. The pectoral fin on the blind side is shorter than that on the eyed side. The pectoral fin on the eyed side is longer and more pointed in

217

males than in females. Scales are rough on the eyed side in males and smooth in females. Colour. From grey to grey-brown to black mottled with dark brown. Fins may be spotted or mottled with black. The blind side is white. Distribution. From Ungava Bay and along the Labrador coast, through Maritime Canada and the Gulf of Maine and southwards to Rhode Island. Size. Up to about 32.3 cm and 0.7 kg. Biology. Smooth flounders are found in estuaries and coastal waters, often in low salinities and at both very low and very high temperatures. They favour mud bottoms. Spawning occurs in late winter or early spring. Food is small crustaceans, molluscs, and worms. Fishery. The distribution of this species is too restricted to enable a large commercial fishery to develop. The smooth flounder may be caught by anglers on fine tackle because of its estuarine and inshore occurrence. It has a thick body like the winter flounder and is an excellent food item.

WINTER FLOUNDER Plie rouge Pleuronectes americanus Walbaum, 1792

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Other names. Blackback, sole, rough flounder, sea flounder, flounder, dab, lemon sole, Georges Bank flounder, mud dab, black flounder, blue-black flounder, snowshoe, gray sole, carrelet. Identification. Winter flounders are distinguished from all other flatfishes except the witch and smooth flounders by being righteyed, having rough scales between the eyes, and having a small mouth and a straight lateral line. The witch flounder has unique pits on the blind side of the head and many more dorsal and anal fin rays. The smooth flounder lacks scales between the eyes and has fewer dorsal and anal fin rays. Small, incisor-shaped teeth are in one row in each jaw. Dorsal fin rays number 59-76 and anal fin rays 44- 58. There is a sharp spine in front of the anal fin. The eyed side scales are rough and those on the blind side are smooth. Colour. The colour varies with the background but is usually a red-brown or olive-green to black, sometimes uniform or else spotted and mottled on the eyed side. The blind side is white, often spotted and with bluish tinges at the margins, and may be partly pigmented ('black-bellies'). The blind side of the caudal peduncle is sometimes yellowish. Distribution. From southern Labrador throughout Atlantic Canada and south to Georgia.

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Size. Up to 63.5 cm and 3.6 kg. The world, all-tackle angling record, caught in 1989 at Perkins Cove, Maine, weighed 1.9 kg.

Biology. Winter flounders are found over mud to moderately hard bottoms in shallow inshore waters and offshore fishing grounds down to 273 m. They are most abundant at temperatures of 12-16°C (hence 'winter flounder' for its occurrence near shore in southern regions at these temperatures in winter). They will enter brackish water. There is an offshore migration in November, returning in April to Passamaquoddy Bay, but there are no long migrations. Spawning occurs in late winter and spring, and up to 3.3 million eggs are produced in shallow, sand-bottomed water. The eggs adhere in clumps and sink to the bottom. Winter flounder live at least 14 years but females are mature at 3-4 years, males 1-2 years earlier. Food includes crustaceans, worms, and molluscs. Fish are seized in a darting movement from a hiding place. Winter flounders also scavenge for food when the opportunity presents. During the capelin spawning season winter flounders will feed on the eggs in very shallow water. Fishery. Winter flounders are caught offshore in otter trawls and Danish seines and inshore with baited hooks, weirs, trawls, seines, traps, and even spears. About 3000 tonnes are caught annually in the Bay of Fundy and the southern Gulf of St Lawrence. The 1988 catch in the northwest Atlantic weighed 11,860 tonnes. Winter flounders are sold fresh or frozen as 'sole,' 'lemon sole,' or 'flounder' and used also in fish-meal. Fish larger than 45 cm and 1.4 kg are rare. The flesh is white and firm, with a delicate flavour. This species has a thick body with many bones so large specimens should be filleted. The fish may be caught on light tackle using small hooks baited with clams, worms, squid, or shrimp both from shore and from boats. The bite is a gentle nibble. Literature Klein-MacPhee, G. 1978. Synopsis of Biological Data for the Winter Flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus (Walbaum). NOAA Technical Report, National Marine Fisheries Service Circular, Washington, DC, 414:43 p. Pitt, T.K. 1984. Winter Flounder. Underwater World, Communications Directorate, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ottawa. 3 p. Catalogue number Fs 41-33/34-1984£.

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WITCH FLOUNDER Plie grise

Glyptocephalus cynoglossus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Other names. Gray sole, pale flounder, Craig fluke, white sole, pole flounder, Torbay sole, pole dab, flet. Identification. The witch flounder is distinguished by a combination of characters, including a small mouth not reaching beyond the front of the eye, a straight lateral line, high counts of dorsal (95-120) and anal (85-102) fin rays, and in particular the 12 or so sensory pits on the blind side of the head. The body is thin. The teeth are incisor-shaped and in a single series in each jaw. There is a sharp, pre-anal fin spine. The scales are small and smooth so the fish is slippery. Colour. The eyed side is a grey-brown and sometimes has dark bars. The dorsal and anal fins may have violet spots and tinges. The upper pectoral fin has dusky to black membranes. The blind side is a grey-white because of many, fine, dark pigment spots, and may rarely be as dark as the eyed side. Distribution. From off Hamilton Inlet in Labrador south through Atlantic Canada and New England on to Cape Hatteras. Also found in Europe. Size. Up to 78.1 cm and about 5 kg.

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Biology. Witch flounders are found over mud or clay bottoms of gullies usually in deep water down to 1570 m, but sometimes as shallow as 18 m. Spawning occurs in late spring to late summer in very deep water where temperatures are relatively high. Floating eggs result, and the young live either in mid-water or in very deep areas for 4-6 months before settling to the bottom. Eggs number up to at least 450,000 per female. Food items are small crustaceans, such as amphipods, and worms, brittle stars, and molluscs. Maximum age appears to be 38 years. This is a very slow growing species, and the commercial fishery starts to take them at about 9 years of age. Females live longer and grow larger than males. Fishery. Witch flounders are caught by otter trawls. They are most abundant at 185-400 m and 2-6°C. Average length of the catch is 45 cm and weight 0.7 kg. This species was overfished in Canada by foreign fleets until the 200 nautical mile limit came into effect. The 1988 catch in the northwest Atlantic weighed 22,28o tonnes. Older fish become 'jellied' after spawning, a condition which does not affect younger fish. The total allowable catch for the northern Gulf of St Lawrence was increased to 5000 tonnes in 1979-81 in an effort to remove these older fish. With fewer old fish there is more

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food for younger fish, which grow faster and are more marketable because they don't become jellied. This strategy succeeded. Witch flounder are marketed as fresh or frozen fillets under the name 'sole' and are very good eating. Their deep habitat and small mouth restrict their angling interest, but they are fished for. Literature Bowering, W.R. 1990. Witch Flounder. Underwater World, Communications Directorate, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ottawa. 6 p. Catalogue number Fs 41-33/ 12-1990£. Biology and fisheries in Canada.

YELLOWTAIL FLOUNDER

Lirnande a queue jaune Pleuronectes ferrugineus (Storer, 1839)

Other names. Rusty dab, sand dab, mud dab, yellowtail, rusty flounder, queue jaune, seriole. Identification. The yellowtail flounder is distinguished by a yellow caudal peduncle and edges to the dorsal, anal, and tail fins, a lateral line with an arch over the pectoral fin, and a small mouth. Dorsal fin rays number 73-91 and anal fin rays 51-68 (more than the winter and smooth flounders and less than the witch flounder). The head is pointed and turned up, and the lower jaw projects. The mouth angle does not reach back to the eye. Teeth are small and conical and are found in a single series in

each jaw. There is a short pre-anal spine. Scales are small, rough on the eyed side and smooth on the blind side. Colour. The eyed side, including the fins, is olive-brown with many irregular rust-red spots. The lemon yellow colour is distinctive. The blind side is white except for a yellowish caudal peduncle. Distribution. From the southern coast of Labrador, western Newfoundland, Gulf of St Lawrence, and Grand Bank and south to Chesapeake Bay. I I

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Size. Up to about 64 cm.

Biology. Yellowtails are found at depths of 9-364 m but are most common in 36-91 m over sand and sand-mud bottoms at 2-6°C. They move into shallower waters in spring and into deeper waters in fall and winter. Spawning occurs in April-July, and up to 4.57 million buoyant eggs are produced. Older females grow faster than males. Yellowtails mature at about 25-35 cm and 4 years for males, 5 years for females on the Grand Bank, a year younger in New England. They live up to 14 years. Their food is mainly crustaceans but also small molluscs, worms, and occasionally smaller fishes such as capelin and sand lances.

Fishery. This species is caught mainly by otter trawl and is marketed fresh and frozen in US markets. It is a delicious fish. The

largest fisheries are on the Grand Bank and on Georges Bank, where fish are 6-8 years old, 37-43 cm long, and 0.5-0.6 kg in weight. On the Grand Bank catches as high as 39,000 tonnes were made in 1972, but stocks declined because of overfishing and possibly poor environmental conditions. Stocks are recovering. The catch in the northwest Atlantic weighed 16,051 tonnes in 1988 but was 45,058 tonnes in 1983. The thin body makes yellowtails less valuable than fatter flatfishes. Anglers may catch this species by drift fishing from a party boat. Literature Pitt, T.K. 1984. Yellowtail Flounder. Underwater World, Communications Branch, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ottawa. 6 p. Catalogue number Fs 41-33/20-1983E. Royce, W.F., R.J. Buller, and E.D. Premetz. 1959. Decline of the yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea) off New England. Fishery Bulletin 146, volume 59:169-267.

Goosefish family Famille des baudroies Lophiidae The goosefish family comprises about 12 species found in the Atlantic, Indian, and western Pacific oceans. A single species is found in Atlantic Canada and New England. The monkfish is easily distinguished from other fishes by its very large head, with an enormous, gaping mouth containing sharp, depressible teeth, and by an unusual, modified first dorsal spine. This spine is near the front of the head and forms a 'fishing line.' The tip is fleshy and acts as a 'lure' to attract unsuspecting food within reach of the capacious mouth. The outline of the fish is camouflaged by a series of fleshy flaps along the lower jaw, the sides of the head, and the body.

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MONKFISH Baudroie d' Amerique Lophius americanus Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1837

Other names. Goosefish, fishing-frog, bellyfish, rape, sea devil, abbot, molykite, angler, mud-fish, all-mouth, greedigut, molligut,