T-306A-1
Living in the Mud with No Respect; Seasonal Distribution of the Pacific Hagfish (Eptatretus stouti) Off the Central California Coast
Living in the Mud with No Respect; Seasonal Distribution of the Pacific Hagfish (Eptatretus stouti) Off the Central California Coast
Tuesday, August 19, 2014: 8:20 AM
306A (Centre des congrès de Québec // Québec City Convention Centre)
Hagfish have a special place in the psyche of humans, ranging from utter disgust, to intrigue over their place in vertebrate evolution, and finally supporting lucrative fisheries; yet we know little about many species. The Pacific Hagfish supports lucrative fisheries throughout much of its range although limited life history data are available. Through a two year fishery independent sampling program off the central California coast, we examined the seasonal patterns of abundance and reproductive status of Pacific Hagfish in areas that had not previously been fished. We collected 9,807 hagfish at depths ranging between 64-550m and noted significant differences in distribution by sex and season. Although individuals of both sexes could be found throughout our study area, mature females were more commonly found in deeper waters (>91m) while mature males dominated inshore landings. Pacific Hagfish make directed migrations presumably for reproductive purposes with both sexes moving inshore for the winter/spring before females move offshore in the late spring to deposit eggs in the benthos. As traditional fisheries decline through restrictive management regimes, additional harvesters may look to enter the Pacific Hagfish fishery which underscores the need to collect baseline data to better inform management practices.