Kamchatka flounder
Encyclopedia
The Kamchatka flounder, Atheresthes evermanni, is a flatfish
of the family Pleuronectidae
. It is a demersal fish that lives at depths of between 20 metres (65.6 ft) and 1200 metres (3,937 ft). Its native habitat is the temperate waters of the northern Pacific
. It can grow as long as 100 centimetres (39.4 in) in length, and can weigh up to 8.5 kilograms (18.7 lb).
and the Aleutian Islands in Alaska
, across the Bering Sea
, to the Gulf of Anadyr
, Kamchatka Peninsula
and the seas of Okhotsk
and Japan
.
In the east of its range the Kamchatka flounder overlaps with the range of the arrowtooth flounder
, and similarities in appearance between the two species
mean that they were not distinguished in commercial fishing
until 2007.
and zoobenthos organisms such as squid
, cuttlefish
, shrimp
s, prawn
s, amphipods, mysids, mollusks and marine worm
s, though the most important prey item is the walleye pollock, which accounted for 56-86% of stomach contents by weight in one study.
, Pacific halibut
, pollock
, arrowtooth flounder
and sculpin
.
industry. Catches have risen from 1,183 tons in 2007 to 19,662 tons in 2010 (prior to 2007 Kamchatcka flounder was not differentiated from the arrowtooth flounder catch; it is estimated that around 10% of the arrowtooth flounder catch was Kamchatka flounder). Total biomass was estimated at 128,800 tons in 2010.
Flatfish
The flatfish are an order of ray-finned fish, also called the Heterosomata, sometimes classified as a suborder of Perciformes. In many species, both eyes lie on one side of the head, one or the other migrating through and around the head during development...
of the family Pleuronectidae
Pleuronectidae
Righteye flounders are a family, Pleuronectidae, of flounders. They are called "righteye flounders" because most species lie on the sea bottom on their left side, with both eyes on the right side. The Paralichthyidae are the opposite, with their eyes on the left side.Their dorsal and anal fins are...
. It is a demersal fish that lives at depths of between 20 metres (65.6 ft) and 1200 metres (3,937 ft). Its native habitat is the temperate waters of the northern Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. It can grow as long as 100 centimetres (39.4 in) in length, and can weigh up to 8.5 kilograms (18.7 lb).
Range
The native habitat of the Kamchatka flounder ranges from the Shelikof StraitShelikof Strait
Shelikof Strait is a strait on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Alaska between the Alaska mainland to the west and Kodiak and Afognak islands to the east....
and the Aleutian Islands in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, across the Bering Sea
Bering Sea
The Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves....
, to the Gulf of Anadyr
Gulf of Anadyr
The Gulf of Anadyr, or Anadyr Bay , is a large bay on the Bering Sea in far northeast Siberia.-Location:The bay is roughly rectangular and opens to the southeast. The corners are Cape Navarin , Anadyr Estuary, Kresta Bay and Cape Chukotsky on the Chukchi Peninsula...
, Kamchatka Peninsula
Kamchatka Peninsula
The Kamchatka Peninsula is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of . It lies between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Okhotsk to the west...
and the seas of Okhotsk
Sea of Okhotsk
The Sea of Okhotsk is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, lying between the Kamchatka Peninsula on the east, the Kuril Islands on the southeast, the island of Hokkaidō to the far south, the island of Sakhalin along the west, and a long stretch of eastern Siberian coast along the west and...
and Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
.
In the east of its range the Kamchatka flounder overlaps with the range of the arrowtooth flounder
Arrowtooth flounder
Arrowtooth flounder are members of the family Pleuronectidae, the right-eyed flounders. It can be caught from the Bering Sea to Santa Rosa Island, California. Spawning occurs from December through February. This species of flounder can live up to 25 years. If not properly handled, the flesh of...
, and similarities in appearance between the two species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
mean that they were not distinguished in commercial fishing
Commercial fishing
Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions...
until 2007.
Diet
The Kamchatka flounder's diet consists of fishFish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
and zoobenthos organisms such as squid
Squid
Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
, cuttlefish
Cuttlefish
Cuttlefish are marine animals of the order Sepiida. They belong to the class Cephalopoda . Despite their name, cuttlefish are not fish but molluscs....
, shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
s, prawn
Prawn
Prawns are decapod crustaceans of the sub-order Dendrobranchiata. There are 540 extant species, in seven families, and a fossil record extending back to the Devonian...
s, amphipods, mysids, mollusks and marine worm
Marine worm
Any worm that lives in a marine environment is considered a marine worm. Marine worms are found in several different phyla, including the Platyhelminthes, Nematoda, Annelida , Chaetognatha, Hemichordata, and Phoronida....
s, though the most important prey item is the walleye pollock, which accounted for 56-86% of stomach contents by weight in one study.
Predators
Kamchatka flounder have been found in the stomachs of only 17 different species of fish in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, including Pacific codPacific Cod
The Pacific cod, Gadus macrocephalus, is an important commercial food species. It is also known as gray cod, gray goo, gray wolf, grayest or grayfish. It has three separate dorsal fins, and the catfish-like whiskers on its lower jaw. In appearance, it is similar to the Atlantic Cod...
, Pacific halibut
Pacific halibut
The Pacific halibut is found on the continental shelf of the North Pacific Ocean and Bering sea. They are demersal, living on or near the bottom. The halibut is among the largest teleost fish in the world. Halibut are strong swimmers and are able to migrate long distances...
, pollock
Pollock
Pollock is the common name used for either of the two species of marine fish in the Pollachius genus. Both P. pollachius and P. virens are commonly referred to as pollock. Other names for P...
, arrowtooth flounder
Arrowtooth flounder
Arrowtooth flounder are members of the family Pleuronectidae, the right-eyed flounders. It can be caught from the Bering Sea to Santa Rosa Island, California. Spawning occurs from December through February. This species of flounder can live up to 25 years. If not properly handled, the flesh of...
and sculpin
Sculpin
A Sculpin is a fish that belongs to the order Scorpaeniformes, suborder Cottoidei and superfamily Cottoidea, that contains 11 families, 149 genera, and 756 species...
.
Commercial fishing
A market has developed for Kamchatka flounder and as such it is targeted by the commercial fishingCommercial fishing
Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions...
industry. Catches have risen from 1,183 tons in 2007 to 19,662 tons in 2010 (prior to 2007 Kamchatcka flounder was not differentiated from the arrowtooth flounder catch; it is estimated that around 10% of the arrowtooth flounder catch was Kamchatka flounder). Total biomass was estimated at 128,800 tons in 2010.