Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoidesWalbaum, 1792) early stage distribution in the Gulf of St. Lawrence

Abstract

Combining information from ichthyoplankton and bottom trawl surveys conducted since the mid 2000s, we present the first report on the distribution and development of early stages of Greenland halibut in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Forty Greenland halibut larvae were captured during the early surveys (end of April, early May), especially south and north of Anticosti Island. Only 10 larvae were captured during the June surveys, few south of Anticosti Island and most were still found near the southeast end and north of the island over the deep Anticosti Channel. In August, newly settled postlarvae were found mainly north of Anticosti Island but also at deep stations in the Laurentian Channel and westward up to the Lower St. Lawrence Estuary. From the combined distribution of larva and newly settled postlarva standard lengths over sampling dates, it was estimated that the larvae would have hatched in late March or early April. Taken together, data on the distribution of Greenland halibut larvae and postlarvae support the conclusion of late-winter spawning in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, possibly over an area located in the deep Laurentian Channel southwest of Newfoundland.