AUTHOR=Bell James B. , Laptikhovsky Vladimir , Barnes David K. A. , Benedet Ramon , Bridges Amelia E. , Glass James , Glass Warren , Green Rodney , Morley Simon A. , Robertson Simon , Robson Georgia R. , Stanton Harry , Azzopardi Freja , Trueman Clive N. , Yates Oliver , Collins Martin A. 

TITLE=Life History and Ecology of Bluenose Warehou (Hyperoglyphe antarctica, Centrolophidae) in the Southern Atlantic

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=Volume 8 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.610172

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2021.610172

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=Bluenose warehou (H. antarctica) is a popular commercial fish in Australia and New Zealand, but its biology and ecology is very poorly known from elsewhere in its distribution. We present here the first life history data for this species from the south Atlantic, focussing upon the exclusive economic zone of the United Kingdom Overseas Territory of Tristan da Cunha. Here, bluenose is known from several seamounts and island margins, typically occurring in waters between 200 and 1000 m depth and is the target species of an trawl and longline fishery operating since 1997. We use a suite of methods to describe important life history parameters, including length-weight and age-length relationships and size at recruitment, as well as examining commercial longline survey data to uncover habitat preferences of bluenose. This work has formed an important part of the UK Government’s Blue Belt Programme in Tristan da Cunha. It has underpinned the development of the first stock assessment for this species in the Atlantic, as well as a range of improved conservation measures for some of the more vulnerable species that occur in these areas, including seabirds and cold-water corals.