Some Biological Aspects of Atlantic Wolffish (Anarhichas lupus) in the Northwest Atlantic

Wilfred Templeman

Science Branch, Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, P. O. Box 5667
St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada A1C 5X1

Source - Journal of Northwest Atlantic Fishery Science, Volume 7(1): 57-65
ISSN-0250-6408

 

Templeman, W. 1986. Some Biological Aspects of Atlantic Wolffish (Anarhichas lupus) in the Northwest Atlantic. J. Northw. Atl. Fish. Sci. 7(1): 57-65. https://doi.org/10.2960/J.v7.a7

 

Abstract

Research on sexual maturity, spawning and fecundity of Atlantic wolffish (Anarhichas lupus) in various parts of the Northwest Atlantic, and on the resultant length-weight effects, was carried out incidentally during 1946-67 in conjunction with investigations which were directed toward other demersal species. Sexual maturity in females began at a relatively small size (43 cm) off Labrador and northeastern Newfoundland, in contrast to a much larger size (58 cm) in the St. Pierre Bank and southern Grand Bank areas, with the size on the northern Grand Bank (49 cm) being intermediate. In other areas from the Scotian Shelf to West Greenland, the sizes at first maturity were similar to or smaller than 43 cm. Maximal lengths of wolffish were considerably greater in areas where sexual maturity Occurred at larger sizes than in areas where it occurred at much smaller sizes. Trends in weight of ovaries and sizes of eggs throughout the year indicated that spawning was mainly in the autumn. However, a wolffish (apparently A. lupus) egg cluster, with some eggs hatched, was found on the southern Grand Bank in April 1960. Fecundity increased exponentially with fish length, the average number of eggs being 2 440 at 40 cm and 35 320 at 120 cm. Length-weight relationships (log-log regressions) indicated that average weights by calendar quarter typically ranged from lowest to highest in October-December, January-March, April-June and July-September. The low values in October-December were attributed to fasting and change of teeth which occur during the spawning period, followed by resumption of feeding and consequent increase in weight-at-length to highest values in July-September.

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Language - English
Publisher - Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO), Dartmouth, N.S., Canada
Publication Date - December 1986
Publication Type - Journal Article

Citation: Templeman, W. 1986. Some Biological Aspects of Atlantic Wolffish (Anarhichas lupus) in the Northwest Atlantic. J. Northw. Atl. Fish. Sci. 7(1): 57-65. https://doi.org/10.2960/J.v7.a7