FECUNDITY OF SABLEFISH, ANOPLOPOMA-FIMBRIA, FROM OREGON COASTAL WATERS

During November-December 1988 and February-March 1989, sablefish femal es were collected off Oregon's coast. Potential annual fecundity for a 2.5 kg sablefish female (without ovary) was about 276,000 oocytes, or 110 oocytes per gram of weight. The annual stock of oocytes is spawne d in three or four batches. The ovaries of sablefish used to estimate potential annual fecundity showed no histological evidence of past spa wning. The maturity window for estimating annual fecundity of sablefis h was determined to be when the average diameters of advanced-yolked o ocytes between 0.74 mm and 1.17 mm. Atretic losses of advanced-yolked oocytes were detected, but they seemed to have little effect on potent ial annual fecundity of the population. Fifty percent of the females o ff Oregon's coast (November-December 1988) were sexually mature when t hey reached 548 mm in fork length.