Reproductive Biology and Ecology of Shortspine Thornyhead Rockfish, Sebastolobus alascanus, and longspine thornyhead rockfish, S. altivelis, from the northeastern Pacific Ocean

Abstract

We examined the reproductive biology and estimated life history parameters for female shortspine thornyhead, Sebastolobus alascanus, and longspine thornyhead, S. altivelis, from histological samples prepared from specimens collected from both Alaska and the West Coast of the United States. Both species spawn pelagic gelatinous egg masses, although timing differs between taxa and locations. Shortspines spawn between April and July in Alaska and between December and May along the West Coast. Longspines spawn between January and April along the West Coast. Length at 50% maturity differed between species and areas, with shortspines at 21.48 cm in Alaska and 18.19 cm on the West Coast, and longspines at 17.83 cm on the West Coast. We used the gonadosomatic index to estimate instantaneous rates of natural mortality (M). Values of M differed little between species and areas despite substantial differences in temperature and dissolved oxygen concentrations. Estimates for shortspines from both Alaska and the West Coast ranged between 0.013 and 0.017, while longspines from the West Coast showed an M value of 0.015. Such low estimates of M suggest Sebastolobus are extremely long-lived.