Product description

Yellowfin sole are a relatively slow growing and long-lived fish species. Yellowfin sole concentrate on the outer shelf in the winter, and move to very shallow waters (<30 m) to spawn and feed in the summer. Prey includes benthic infauna and epifauna, euphausiids, and fish.

Females reach 50% maturity at 30 cm (about 10.5 years old) and are highly fecund, producing one to three million eggs. Spawning occurs in June and July in shallow waters of Bristol Bay to Nunivak Island. Annual natural mortality of adults has been estimated to be about 10% (M = 0.12). Yellowfin sole begin to recruit to trawl fisheries at age 6, but are not fully recruited to all gear types until about age 13. Maximum age for this species is 31 years. The stock has recently been at high population levels due to good recruitment in the early 1970's and low exploitation. Biomass is projected to decline slowly in coming years.