mentella Travin) in the Northwest Atlantic

• Main Author: F. M. Troyanovsky
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Irminger Sea; Newfoundland; Northwest Atlantic; Sebastes mentella
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.505.4762; http://journal.nafo.int/J14/troyanovsky.pdf

In the early-1960s a deepwater form of redfish (Sebastes mentella Travin) was found at depths more than 500 m on the continental slopes of Labrador and North Newfoundland. This group differed from the beaked redfish commonly distributed in these areas by the biological peculiarities of non-developed reproductive organs and lack of sexual dimorphism. The results of nearly 30-year observations showed that the form of non-maturing redfish had not changed. They were distributed along the continental slope northward of Div. 3K and the fish size increased from north to south. The distribution of this form of redfish was similar to that of non-maturing roundnose grenadier (Coryphaenoides rupestris). The origin and causes which led to inhibition of gonadal development of both groups were considered to be analogous. The non-maturing group of redfish was thought to originate from partial eggs and larval drifts from the Irminger Sea to form a pseudo-population in the area studied. The need for studies of the population and its exploitation of this potentially commercially valuable group is emphasized.