Le Sebaste, Sebastes marinus sp.. Lieux de pêche, biologie, exploitation

The term 'redfish' includes 4 different species which are described here: Sebastes marinus mentella, Sebastes marinus marinus, Sebastes viviparus and Helicolenus dactylopterus. Biology, distribution and exploitation of the first 2 species are presented. Redfish has a very wide distribution over the NE Atlantic, Iceland, Greenland, and NW Atlantic. The following areas are described in detail: Coast of Labrador and NE Newfoundland, Gulf of St. Lawrence, S Coast of Newfoundland and St. Lawrence channel, coast of Cape Breton and Nova Scotia, the George Bank South Channel and Nentucket shoals. Redfish biology is discussed under headings: life habits and migration; reproduction and growth; parasites; factors limiting distribution; nutrition; relationship between redfish and other commercial species. Exploitation is treated under productivity, Saint-Pierre fishery: catches and export; state of stock and expectations. It is concluded that the young population of the St. Pierre bank will be of great importance in a few years if stocks are not depleted. One stock lives in shallow waters, being of small size, while another stock reaching good lengths live in deeper waters. Parasitism is a problem in Labrador.