AGE AND GROWTH OF PACIFIC SAND LANCE (AMMODYTES PERSONATUS) AT THE LATITUDINAL EXTREMES OF THE GULF OF ALASKA LARGE MARINE ECOSYSTEM

Abstract

The Pacific Sand Lance (Ammodytes personatus) is a major component of the forage base for many species of marine birds, mammals, and fishes. Despite its ecological importance, relatively little is known regarding basic biology or life-history parameters for this species. Information on age and growth is particularly lacking for Pacific Sand Lance in the Salish Sea, an inland sea that encompasses the San Juan Archipelago in Washington State. Here, we present information on age and growth of Pacific Sand Lance from this region and then contrast it with a previous study based in Cook Inlet, Alaska. These 2 regions comprise the latitudinal extremes of the Gulf of Alaska large marine ecosystem. We found evidence for possible differences in growth of Pacific Sand Lance between the 2 regions, with San Juan Island fish generally being smaller at age than fish in Cook Inlet. We interpret these results with respect to regional and temporal differences in environmental conditions and resource availability linked to duration and magnitude of seasonal production, which we hypothesize affects the period of winter dormancy employed by this species as a strategy to cope with resource limitation.