Arrowtooth Flounder

About the Species

U.S. wild-caught arrowtooth flounder is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.

Status

• There are three stocks of arrowtooth flounder: Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands, Gulf of Alaska, and West Coast:
  • According to the 2018 stock assessments, the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska stocks of arrowtooth flounder are not overfished and are not subject to overfishing.
  • According to the 2017 stock assessment, the West Coast arrowtooth flounder stock is not overfished, and it is not subject to overfishing based on 2016 catch data.

Appearance

• Arrowtooth flounder are a relatively large, brownish colored flatfish with a large mouth.
• They’re members of the family Pleuronectidae, the right-eyed flounders, which have both eyes on the right side and lie on the ocean floor on their left side.

Biology

• Arrowtooth flounder grow slowly and can live up to 27 years.
• Males can reach 2 feet in length, and females grow a bit larger, up to almost 3 feet.
• Males sexually mature when they reach 3 to 7 years old, and females are able to reproduce when they reach 4 to 8 years old.
• Spawning season varies by location:
  • Off the West Coast from late fall through early spring.
  • In the Gulf of Alaska during spring and summer.
  • Off the coast of Alaska during fall and winter.
• They spawn multiple times during a spawning season, releasing eggs that are then fertilized externally.
• Arrowtooth flounder eggs hatch in deep water (below 400 meters) and rise up the water column as they develop, then settle to the ocean bottom during the summer and fall.
• Larvae eat copepods, a type of small crustacean.
• Juveniles and adults feed on crustaceans (mainly pink shrimp and krill) and fish (mainly cod, herring, and pollock).
• A variety of fish and marine mammals prey on arrowtooth flounder, including skates, sharks, shortspine thornyhead, halibut, orcas, other toothed whales, and harbor seals.
• In the Gulf of Alaska, arrowtooth flounder are an important part of the diet of Steller sea lions.

Where They Live

• Arrowtooth flounder are found from Northern California through the Bering Sea.

Management

• NOAA Fisheries and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council manage the arrowtooth flounder fishery in Alaska.
• Managed under the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands Groundfish Fishery Management Plans:
  • Arrowtooth flounder are included in these fishery management plans because of their importance to the ecosystem (it’s a very abundant flatfish and an important part of the food chain as both predator and prey).
  • Commercial interest in arrowtooth flounder has grown in recent years.
  • Limit on the total amount of arrowtooth flounder that can be harvested each year. Annual harvests have consistently been below this level.
• NOAA Fisheries and the Pacific Fishery Management Council manage the arrowtooth flounder fishery on the West Coast.
• Managed under the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan:
  • Limits on the number of permits and fishermen allowed.
  • Limits on the minimum size of fish that may be harvested.
  • Limit on how much may be harvested in one fishing trip.
  • Certain seasons and areas are closed to fishing.
  • Gear restrictions help reduce bycatch and impacts on habitat.
  • A trawl rationalization catch share program includes:
    • Catch limits based on population information for each fish stock and divided into shares that are allocated to individual fishermen or groups.
    • These fishermen can decide how and when to catch their share – preferably when weather, markets, and business conditions are most favorable, allowing the fishery the flexibility to be more environmentally responsible, safer, more efficient, and more valuable.