Abstract
Key words: Raja rhina, Bathyraja, reproduc-tive biology, sex ratio, size composition, speciescomposition, Clarence Strait, Dixon Entrance,Gulf of AlaskaDirect and indirect fishing pressure on skates(Order: Rajiformes) has resulted in populationdeclines of exploited stocks and considerableshifts in size structure and species compositionof skate assemblages (Walker and Hislop 1998;Dulvy and others 2000; Rogers and Ellis 2000;Frisk and others 2002). Fishing mortality isespecially deleterious to many skate speciesbecause of their k–selected life history traits,including slow growth, late ages at maturity,and low fecundity (Holden 1974; Cailliet andGoldman 2004). Large skate species are morelikely to exhibit these life history patterns andare therefore typically more susceptible toexploitation than smaller species (Dulvy andReynolds 2002; Ellis and others 2005).Incidental catch of skates is substantial inseveral Gulf of Alaska groundfish fisheries suchas cod longline, halibut longline, and flatfish
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