Research Document - 2014/033

A Preliminary Analysis of Habitat Use and Movement Patterns of Wolffish (Anarhichas spp.) in Coastal Newfoundland Waters

By M.R. Simpson, L.G.S. Mello, C.M. Miri, R. Collins, C. Holloway, and T. Maddigan

Abstract

Determining movement patterns of animals in their natural environment is a difficult task, especially with a number of marine fish species that are distributed over wide geographic areas and often in offshore waters. This paper summarizes initial results of a study conducted in 2010‑13 on the distribution and movement patterns of wolffish in coastal waters of the Northeast Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland (Canada). This research generated acoustic telemetry data, data from direct observations of wolffish during SCUBA surveys to provide a preliminary (qualitative) analysis of habitat use by wolffish in the study area. Wolffish movements varied with geographic scale. Patterns consisted of:

1. remaining in one location (within a 4 km radius) for up to 2 years;
2. remaining in one location for up to a year, and then moving periodically northward and southward along the coastline in spring and summer to another location up to 20 km from the initial location; and
3. long-range movements (> 20 km) beyond the study area.

Overall, the information obtained through the acoustic telemetry, SCUBA surveys, and hydrographic profiling have contributed to a better understanding of life history traits and habitat use by wolffish in Newfoundland coastal waters, especially regarding Atlantic Wolffish.

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