Abstract
Female sexual maturation cycle and the main spawning time of Greenland halibut Reinhardtius hippoglossoides in the Davis Strait were studied through regularly collected samples during 1 year starting in spring 2003. Samples were collected from the southern slope of the Davis Strait Ridge between Canada and Greenland in the depth range 1000-1500 m. Female sexual maturation was described using different approaches: gonado-somatic index, visual macroscopic maturity stage index, histological microscopic maturity index and oocyte diameter measurements. A significant increase in the gonado-somatic index was seen from September onwards until February with a maximum estimated value of 18%. The proportion of mature fish increased from December until March. At the same time, the proportion of females with a low gonado-somatic index also increased from February, indicating that spawning had occurred and females were recovering. Oocyte diameter distribution revealed a leading cohort development during autumn through to December to February. A coupling between sexual maturity and fish condition was seen for females in maturing condition indicating a steady build up of stored energy in the liver from June to November.
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