"Arrowtooth Flounder"

The Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) arrowtooth flounder (Atheresthes stomias) stock is managed in Tier 3a and is assessed on a biennial basis.

Arrowtooth flounder (Atheresthes stomias) are relatively large flatfish that range from central California to the eastern Bering Sea (EBS), and as far west as the Kuril Islands (Orlov 2004). Arrowtooth flounder occur in waters from about 20m to 800m, although catch per unit effort (CPUE) from survey data is highest between 100m and 300m. Spawning occurs in deep water (>400 meters) in the Gulf of Alaska and along the shelf break in the eastern Bering Sea (Doyle et al. 2018). Migration patterns are not well known for arrowtooth flounder; however, there is some indication that arrowtooth flounder move into deeper water as they grow, similar to other flatfish, such as Alaska plaice and Greenland turbot (Barbeaux and Hollowed 2018). This is particularly relevant in the Bering Sea, where there is a separate research survey conducted on the EBS shelf and slope (

A key area of fisheries and ecosystem research is collecting and analyzing data about food chains in the North Pacific. Data are put into environmental assessments, and single-species and multispecies models so we can better understand the relationships between organisms, and to their physical surroundings.

Ongoing research of the Arrowtooth flounder (Atheresthes stomias).

The National Standard Guidelines for Fishery Management Plans published by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) require that a stock assessment and fishery evaluation (SAFE) report be prepared and reviewed annually for each fishery management plan (FMP). The SAFE reports are intended to summarize the best available scientific information concerning the past, present, and possible future condition of the stocks and fisheries under federal management. The FMPs for the groundfish fisheries managed by the Council require that drafts of the SAFE reports be produced each year in time for the December North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) meetings.

The Gulf of Alaska (GOA) arrowtooth flounder (Atheresthes stomias) stock is managed in Tier 3a and is assessed on a biennial basis to coincide with the annual GOA groundfish trawl survey.  These surveys occur in odd years, and for these years a full assessment of arrowtooth flounder in the GOA area is conducted.

Arrowtooth flounder (Atheresthes stomias) are relatively large flatfish that range from central California to the eastern Bering Sea and are currently the most abundant  groundfish  species  in  the  Gulf  of  Alaska.  Arrowtooth flounder occur from central California to the Bering Sea, in waters from about 20m to 800m, although  catch  per  unit  effort  (CPUE)  from  survey  data  is  highest  between  100m  and  300m.  Spawningoccurs in deep water in the Gulf of Alaska and along the shelf break in the eastern Bering Sea. Migration patterns  are  not  well  known  for  arrowtooth  flounder;  however,  there  is  some  indication  that  arrowtooth  flounder move into deeper water as they grow, similar to other flatfish (Zimmerman and Goddard 1996).  Fisheries  data  off  Washington  suggest  that  larger  fish  may  migrate  to  deeper  water  in  winter  and  shallower water in summer (Rickey 1995). 

The age-structured assessment model is similar to the model used for the 2014 and 2015 assessments and was developed using AD Model Builder (a C++ software language extension and automatic differentiation library).

Arrowtooth Flounder, A Voracious Predator!

Arrowtooth flounder (Atheresthes stomias) range from central California to the eastern Bering Sea and are currently the most abundant groundfish species in the Gulf of Alaska. Arrowtooth flounder occur from central California to the Bering Sea, in waters from about 20m to 800m, although catch per unit effort (CPUE) from survey data is highest between 100m and 300m. Migration patterns are not well known for arrowtooth flounder; however, there is some indication that arrowtooth flounder move into deeper water as they grow, similar to other flatfish (Zimmerman and Goddard 1996). Fisheries data off Washington suggest that larger fish may migrate to deeper water in winter and shallower water in summer (Rickey 1995). Arrowtooth flounder spawn in deep waters (>400m) along the continental shelf break in winter (Blood et al. 2007). They are batch spawners, spawning from fall to winter off Washington State at depths greater than 366m (Rickey 1995).