Library
National
Wetlands
Research
Center
Cr.
S.
Fish
and
Wildlife
Service
Biological
Report
82
(
11.44)
April
1988
700
Cajundome
Boulevard
TR
EL­
82­
4
Species
Profiles:
Life
Histories
and
Environmental
Requirements
of
Coastal
Fishes
and
Invertebrates
(
Pacific
Southwest)

CALIFORNIA
HALIBUT
QI
15
.
SC
no
11
2
5
53
82
144
Fish
and
Wildlife
Service
Coastal
Ecology
Group
WatefWavS
ExDeriment
Station
U.
S.
Department
of
the
Interior
U.
S.
Army
Corps
of
Engineer8
Biological
Report
82l11.44)
TR
EL­
82­
4
April
1986
Species
Profiles:
Life
Histories
and
Environmental
Requirements
of
Coastal
Fishes
and
Invertebrates
(
Pacific
Southwest)

CALIFORNIA
HALIBUT
Stephen
T.
Kucas
and
Thomas
J.
Hassler
California
Cooperative
Fishery
Research
Unit
Humboldt
State
University
Arcata,
CA
95521
Project
Officer
John
Parsons
National
Coastal
Ecosystems
Team
U.
S.
Fish
and
Wildlife
Service
1010
Gause
Boulevard
Slidell,
LA
70458
Performed
For
Coastal
Ecology
Group
Waterways
Experiment
Station
U.
S.
Army
Corps
of
Engineers
Vicksburg,
MS
39180
and
National
Coastal
Ecosystems
Team
Division
of
Biological
Services
Research
and
Development
Fish
and
Wildlife
Service
U.
S.
Department
of
the
Interior
Washington,
DC
20240
This
series
should
be
referenced
as
follows:

U.
S.
Fish
and
Wildlife
Service.
1983­
19_.
Species
profiles:
life
histories
and
environmental
requirements
of
coastal
fishes
and
invertebrates.
U.
S.
Fish
Wildl.
Serv.
Biol.
Rep.
82(
11).
U.
S.
Army
Corps
of
Engineers,
TR
EL­
82­
4.

This
profile
should
be
cited
as
follows:

Kucas,
S.
T.,
and
T.
J.
Hassler.
1986.
Species
profiles:
life
histories
and
environmental
requirements
of
coastal
fishes
and
invertebrates
(
Pacific
Southwest)­­
California
halibut.
U.
S.
Fish
Wildl.
Serv.
Mol.
Rep.
82t11.44).
U.
S.
Army
Corps
of
Engineers,
TR
EL­
82­
4.
8
pp.
PREFACE
This
species
profile
is
one
of
a
series
on
coastal
aquatic
organisms,
principally
fish,
of
sport,
commercial,
or
ecological
importance.
The
profiles
are
designed
to
provide
coastal
managers,
engineers,
and
biologists
with
a
brief
comprehensive
sketch
of
the
biological
characteristics
and
environmental
requirements
of
the
species
and
to
describe
how
populations
of
the
species
may
be
expected
to
react
to
environmental
changes
caused
by
coastal
development.
Each
profile
has
sections
on
taxonomy,
life
history,
ecological
role,
environmental
requirements,
and
economic
importance,
if
applicable.
A
three­
ring
binder
is
used
for
this
series
so
that
new
profiles
can
be
added
as
they
are
prepared.
This
project
is
jointly
planned
and
financed
by
the
U.
S.
Army
Corps
of
Engineers
and
the
U.
S.
Fish
and
Wildlife
Service.

Suggestions
or
questions
regarding
this
report
should
be
directed
to
one
of
the
following
addresses.

Information
Transfer
Specialist
National
Coastal
Ecosystems
Team
U.
S.
Fish
and
Wildlife
Service
NASA­
Slide11
Computer
Complex
1010
Gause
Boulevard
Slidell,
LA
70458
or
U.
S.
Army
Engineer
Waterways
Experiment
Station
Attention:
WESER­
C
Post
Office
Box
631
Vicksburg,
MS
39180
.
.
.
111
Multiply
millimeters
(
mn)
centimeters
(
cm)
meters
(
m)
kilometers
(
km)

square
meters
(
m2)
square
kilometers
(
km2)
hectares
(
ha)

liters
(
1)
cubic
meters
(
m3)
cubic
meters
milligrams
(
mg)
grams
(
9)
kilograms
(
k
9
)
metric
tons
t)
metric
tons
kilocalories
(
kcal)

Celsius
degrees
inches
inches
EiOP
miles
(
mi)
nautical
miles
(
rmi)
25.40
millimeters
2.54
centimeters
0.3048
meters
1.829
meters
1.609
kilometers
1.852
kilometers
square
feet
(
ft2)
acres
square
miles
(
mi2)
0.0929
square
meters
0.4047
hectares
2.590
square
kilometers
gallons
(
gal)
3.785
cubic
feet
(
ft3)
0.02831
acre­
feet
1233.0
ounces
(
02)
pounds
(
lb).
_
28.35
0.4536
short
tons
(
ton)
0.9072
._
.
British
thermal
units
(
Mu)
0.2520
Fahrenheit
degrees
0.5556("
F
iV
CONVERSION
TABLE
Metric
to
U.
S.
Customary
!
Y
To
Obtain
0.03937
inches
0.3937
inches
3.281
feet
0.6214
miles
10.76
square
feet
0.3861
square
miles
2.471
acres
0.2642
gallons
35.31
cubic
feet
0.0008110
acre­
feet
0.00003527
ounces
0.03527
ounces
2.205
pounds
2205.0
pounds
1.102.
short
tons
3.968
British
thermal
units
1.8(
Y)
+
32
Fahrenheit
degrees
U.
S.
Customary
to
Metric
liters
cubic
meters
cubic
meters
32)
grams
kilograms
metric
tons
kilocalories
Celsius
degrees
CONTENTS
Paqe
PREFACE
.....................................................................
CONVERSION
TABLE
............................................................
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
.............................................................

NOMENCLATURE/
TAXONOMY/
RANGE
.................................................
MORPHOLOGY/
IDENTIFICATION
AIDS
..............................................
REASON
FOR
INCLUSION
IN
SERIES
..............................................
LIFE
HISTORY
................................................................
Spawninq
..................................................................
Larval
Staqe
..............................................................
Juveniles
.................................................................
Maturity
and
Life
Span
....................................................
GROWTH
CHARACTERISTICS
......................................................
COMMERCIAL
AND
SPORT
FISHERIES
..............................................
ECOLOGICAL
ROLE
.............................................................
ENVIRONMENTAL
REQUIREMENTS
..................................................
Temperature
...............................................................
Depth
.....................................................................
Substrate
.................................................................
Other
Environmental
Factors
...............................................

LITERATURE
CITED
............................................................
iii
iv
vi
:

13
3"

33344
;

25
7
V
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We
are
grateful
for
the
reviews
by
Peter
L.
Haaker
and
Roger
N.
Lea,
California
Department
of
Fish
and
Game.
David
Moran
served
as
assistant
project
officer
at
NCET.

vi
Figure
1.
California
halibut.

CALIFORNIA
HALIBUT
NOMENCLATURE/
TAXONOMY/
RANGE
Scientific
name
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
Paralichthys
californicus
(
Ayres)
Preferred
common
name
.
.
.
..
California
halibut
(
Figure
1)
Class
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
Osteichthyes
Order
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
Pleuronectiformes
Family........................
Bothidae
Geographic
range:
Gulf
of
California
(
isolated
population),
and
from
Magdalena
Bay,
California,
to
Quillayute
River,
Washington
(
Miller
and
Lea
1972;
Figure
2).
Most
occur
below
San
Francisco
Bay
(
Haaker
1975).

MORPHOLOGY/
IDENTIFICATION
AIDS'

Fin
rays
­­
dorsal
66­
76,
anal
49­
59,
pectoral
10­
13;
lateral
line
1
Largely
extracted
from
Miller
and
Lea
(
1972).
scales
about
100;
gill
rakers
7­
11
+
18­
23;
vertebrae
34­
36;
eyes
sinistral
or
dextral.
Body
elliptical,
slender;
head
small;
mouth
large,
maxillary
extending
to
or
beyond
rear
edge
of
lower
eye;
teeth
strong
and
sharp
on
both
sides
of
head;
eyes
small;
interorbital
space
wide,
flat;
lateral
line
with
hiqh
arch
over
pectoral
fin;
scales
small,
smooth;
caudal
fin
indented.

Color
in
life:
eyed
side
grayish
or
greenish­
brown,
sometimes
mottled
with
lighter
and
darker
shades;
small
white
spots;
and
blind
side
white
to
cream.
Young
fish
with
bluish­
white
spots
(
Bane
and
Bane
1971);
partial
pigmentation
has
been
reported
on
the
eyed
side
(
Haaker
and
Lane
1973).

REASON
FOR
INCLUSION
IN
SERIES
The
California
halibut
commonly
lives
in
bays
and
estuaries
along
the
1
Quillayute
River
NORTHWEST
4o"­
­­­­

SOUTHWEST
130'
BRITISH
COLUMBIA
3
f
­_­­­
­­

WASHINGTON
L­_,
­­__

OREGON
_­­­
­

L
CALIFORNIA
Figure
2.
Coastal
distribution
of
the
California
halibut.

2
central
and
southern
California
coast
(
Haaker
1975),
and
supports
a
small
but
valuable
sport
and
commercial
fishery.
A
sharp
reduction
in
il
California
halibut
landings
from
California
in
the
late
1920'
s
and
4
declining
landings
in
recent
years
have
prompted
scientists
to
determine
the
cause.
To
date
little
is
known
about
its
biology
and
life
history.

LIFE
HISTORY
Spawninq
The
major
spawning
areas
for
the
California
halibut
are
unknown.
In
spring,
halibut
emigrate
from
relatively
deep
offshore
waters
to
shallow
coastal
waters
(
Clark
1930a,
1930b)
to
spawn
at
depths
of
5
to
18
m
(
Young
1960).
California
halibut
spawn
from
February
through
July,
peaking
in
May
(
Ginsberg
1952).
The
eggs
are
demersal.
After
spawning
the
adults
return
to
water
about
40
to
100
m
deep
(
Ginsberg
1952).

Larval
Stas
The
larval
and
postlarval
stages
of
the
California
halibut
are
pelagic
for
several
months
before
the
postlarvae
settle
to
the
bottom
(
Winzler
and
Kelly
Consulting
Engineers
1977).
In
southern
California,
the
planktonic
larval
stages,
about
10
mn
standard
length
(
SL),
are
pelagic
and
live
in
water
12
to
45
m
deep
and
1.9
to
5.4
km
out
from
shore.
Larger
and
older
larvae
live
closer
to
shore,
and
most
are
suspected
to
live
in
embayments
(
Plummer
et
al.
1983).

Juveniles
Juveniles
begin
to
settle
and
assume
bottom
dwelling
habits
in
June
(
Frey
1971);
they
remain
in
shallow
water
and
do
not
move
extensively
(
Frey
1971;
Haaker
1975).
Juvenile
halibut
begin
to
emigrate
to
deeper
3
water
when
they
are
about
200
mm
total
length
(
TL)
(
Frey
1971).

Maturity
and
Life
Span
Most
halibut
females
are
sexually
mature
at
430
mm
TL
or
at
the
end
of
their
third
year
of
life
(
Frey
1971).
Most
males
mature
when
about
230
mm
TL
long
or
at
the
end
of
their
second
year
of
life.

Halibut
are
lived.
generally
long­
Both
males
and
females
may
live
as
long
as
30
years,
though
generally
the
males
do
not
qrow
as
large
or
live
as
long
as
the
`
females
(
Frey
1971).
Halibut
are
about
1,080
mm
TL
long
when
they
are
12
years
old.

GROWTH
CHARACTERISTICS
The
age
and
rate
of
growth
of
halibut
from
California
commercial
landings
were
reported
by
Frey
(
1971).
Table
1
sumnarizes
this
information.

The
growth
rate
of
female
halibut
in
their
`
first
and
second
years
of
life
(
Haaker
1975)
was
s
ower
Table
1.
Age
and
growth
(
mid
lengths)
of
female
halibut
California
commercial
landings
(
Frey
1971).
year
from
from
Year
Mid­
year
length
Weight
(
n
TL)
(
kg)

1
:

45
;
12
178
0.057
318
0.340
439
0.907
553
1.758
648
2.835
813
5.783
940
9.072
1054
10.745
in
Anaheim
Bay,
California,
than
that
reported
by
Frey
(
1971)
from
California
commercial
landings.
In
their
third
year,
growth
of
females
from
Anaheim
Bay
was
greater
than
that
reported
from
California
landings.
Data
were
not
available
for
other
age
groups.

COMMERCIAL
AND
SPORT
FISHERIES
The
California
halibut
supports
a
small
but
lucrative
sport
and
commercial
fishery.
The
demand
for
the
species
is
high,
but
its
abundance
and
availability
are
relatively
low.

Records
of
the
commercial
catches
of
California
halibut
from
1916
to
1947
were
summarized
by
Holmberg
(
1949).
Frey
(
1971)
summarized
the
California
landings
data
to
1969.
Commercial
landings
data
of
California
halibut
from
1939
to
1984
are
presented
in
Figure
3.

800
OFF
CALIFORNIA
700
­
­
­
OREGON.
WASHINGTON
AND
MEXICAN
WATERS
600
100
0
1939
1948
,957
1966
1975
1985
YEAR
Figure
3.
Commercial
landings
of
California
halibut
from
1939
to
1984
(
data
from
U.
S.
National
Marine
Fisheries
Service
1942­
1984
and
California
Department
of
Fish
and
Game
preliminary
monthly
landings
data
1978­
1984).
The
commercial
catch
of
the
California
halibut
for
California,
Washington,
Oregon
,
and
Mexican
waters
declined
from
2,131
t
in
1919
to
330
t
in
1941
(
Holmberg
1949).
From
1941
to
1969
the
average
annual
catch
was
419
t.
Large
catches
in
1946
and
1947,
1,134
t
and
811
t
respectively,
may
be
attributed
to
reduced
fishing
during
World
War
II,
which
allowed
the
halibut
stocks
to
build
up
(
Frey
1971).
After
10
years
(
1947­
1956)
of
unusually
cold
water
along
the
California
coast,
the
commercial
catch
increased
from
161
t
in
1959
to
578
t
in
1964.
The
catch
then
declined
to
117
t
in
1970,
the
lowest
catch
on
record.

From
1971
to
1983
the
catch
of
California
halibut
averaged
271
t
(
range:
123
t
to
563
t).
The
value
of
the
commercial
landings
of
California
halibut
in
1977
was
estimated
at
$
460,000
(
U.
S.
National
Marine
Fisheries
Service
1942­
1984).
More
recent
estimates
have
not
been
published.

ECOLOGICAL
ROLE
The
larvae
and
young
juveniles
of
the
California
halibut
are
planktivorous,
but
as
they
grow
to
adulthood
they
become
piscivorous
(
Haaker
1975;
Plummer
et
al.
1983).
Halibut
230
mm
TL
long
or
longer
feed
heavily
on
fish
(
primarily
during
daylight)
and,
to
a
lesser
extent,
on
shrimp
(
Haaker
1975).

Juvenile
and
adult
California
halibut
are
especially
adapted
for
catching
and
digesting
fish
because
they
are
equipped
with
long
heavily
toothed
gill
rakers
that
aid
in
holding
and
swallowing,
an
intestine
with
a
simple
loop,
and
a
brain
with
large
optic
lobes
(
Haaker
1975).
This
raptorial
predator
has
sharp
canine­
like
teeth
and
a
large
mouth.

Haaker
(
1975)
found
that
the
stomachs
of
halibut
12
to
510
mm
long
contained
65%
fish,
34%
crustaceans,

4
and
1%
mollusks,
though
the
diet
of
these
fish
changed
as
the
fish
grew.
For
example,
halibut
less
than
55
mm
long
ate
mostly
small
fish
(
gobies)
and
small
crustaceans
such
amphipods,
copepods
and
mysids.
Fifi
from
55
to
230
m
ate
larger
crustaceans
and
fishes.
Larger
halibut
ate
larger
prey
(
Plummer
et
al.
1983).
The
northern
anchovy,
Engraulis
mordax,
is
probably
the
most
important
prey
of
the
California
halibut
(
Frey
1971).

ENVIRONMENTAL
REQUIREMENTS
Temperature
Laboratory
behavioral
studies
indicated
that
California
halibut
in
age
groups
0
and
I
are
eurythermal,
whereas
individuals
in
age
group
II
and
older
tended
to
be
stenothermal
(
Innis
1980).
Adult
halibut
placed
in
a
water
temperature
gradient
chamber
preierred
wa&
er
temperatures
between
15
C
and
23
C
(
Innis
1980).

Depth
California
halibut
about
100
mn
long
(
SL)
were
largely
absent
from
nearshore
coastal
waters
6
to
30
m
deep
off
northern
San
Diego
County
and
occurred
primarily
in
embayments
(
Plummer
et
al.
1983).
Age
I+
fish
(
15­
25
cm
SL)
and
II+
(
30­
45
cm
SL)
and
older
fish
(
Haaker
1975;
Innis
1980)
segregate
by
depth,
with
older
juveniles
and
young
adults
occurring
deeper
than
younger
juveniles.
Adults
prefer
deeper
water
(
Haaker
1975;
Innis
1980).
The
California
halibut
inhabits
offshore
waters
as
deep
as
100
m
(
Miller
and
Lea
1972),
but
most
are
caught
commercially
on
the
bottom
at
water
depths
of
6
to
40
m
(
Ginsberg
1952).

Substrate
Adult
California
halibut
occur
over
sandy
bottoms
from
the
surf
zone
to
100
m
(
Jones
and
Stokes,
Inc.
1981).

Other
Environmental
Factors
Shallow
bays
and
estuaries
may
be
critical
habitat
for
the
survival
and
growth
of
larvae
and
young
juveniles,
and
the
shallow
waters
of
the
open
coast
almost
surely
serve
as
nursery
grounds
for
California
halibut
(
Plummer
et
al.
1983;
Haaker
1975).
Consequently,
major
alterations
of
bays
and
estuaries
along
the
coast
of
California
could
be
harmful
to
halibut
habitat
and
reduce
the
abundance
of
halibut.
LITERATURE
CITED
Bane,
G.
W.
and
A.
W.
Bane.
1971.
Bay
fishes
of
Northern
California.
Mariscos
Publication,
Southampton,
N.
Y.
143
pp.

Clark,
G.
H.
1930a.
The
California
halibut
(
Paralichthys
californicus)
and
an
analysis
of
the
boat
catches.
ep.
Fish
Game
Fish
Bull.
Calif.
Dc
32:
1­
52.

Clark,
G.
H.
1930b.
California
ha1
but.
Cal
if.
Fish
Game
16:
315­
317.

Frey,
H.
W.,
_.
.
ed.
1971.
California
`
5
lliving
marine
resources
and
their
utilization.
California
Department
Fish
Game,
Sacramento.
148
pp.

Ginsberg,
I.
1952.
Flounders
of
the
genus
Paralichthys
and
related
genera
in
American
waters.
U.
S.
Fish
Wildl.
Serv.
Fish.
Bull.
71:
267­
351.

Haaker,
P.
L.
1975.
The
bioloqv
of
the
California
halibut,
Paralichthys
Californicus
(
Ayres),
in
Anaheim
Bay,
California.
Pages
137­
151
in
E.
D.
Lane
and
C.
W.
Hills.
eds.
Tl%
marine
resources
of
Anaheim
Bay.
Calif.
Dep.
Fish
Game
Fish.
Bull.
165.

Haaker,
P.
L.,
and
E.
D.
Lane.
1973.
Frequencies
of
anomalies
in
a
bothid,
Paralichthys
californicus,
and
a
pleuronectid,
guttulata,
flatfish.
22­
25.

Holmberg,
E.
K.
1949.
California
halibut
the
commercial
fish
catch
of
California
for
the
year
1947
with
an
historical
review
1916­
1947.
Cal
if.
Fish
Game
Fish.
Bull.
74:
75­
77.

Innis,
D.
B.
1980.
Growth
characteristics
and
temperature
preference
behavior
of
juvenile
California
halibut,
Paralichthys
californicus,
and
their
relationship
to
the
effects
of
thermal
effluent.
Master's
Thesis.
San
Diego
State
University,
Calif.
110
pp.

Jones
and
Stokes,
Inc.
1981.
An
eco!
ogical
characterization
of
the
central
and
northern
California
coastal
region.
U.
S.
Fish
Wildl.
Serv.
FWS/
OBS­
80/
47.1,
Vol.
III
Part
I.

Miller,
D.
J.,
and
R.
N.
Lea.
1972.
Guide
to
the
coastal
marine
fishes
of
California.
Calif.
Dep.
Fish
Game
Fish.
Bull.
157.
249
pp.

Plumner,
K.
M.,
E.
E.
DeMartini,
and
D.
A.
Roberts.
1983.
The
feeding
habits
and
distribution
of
juvenilesmall
adult
California
halibut
(
Paralichthys
californicus)
'
coastal
waters
0ffrn
SZ
Diego
County,
Calif.
Coop.
Oceanic
Fish.
Invest.
Rep.
24:
194­
201.

U.
S.
National
Marine
Fisheries
Service.
1942­
1984.
Fishery
Statistics
of
the
United
States
1939­
1977,
Statistical
Digests
Numbers
1
through
71.

Winzler
and
Kelly.
1977.
A
summary
of
knowledge
of
the
central
and
northern
California
coastal
zone
and
7
offshore
areas.
Volume
2
(
Chapters
nia.
337
pp.
5­
61,
Biological
Conditions.
Prepared
for
U.
S.
Bureau
of
Land
Young,
P.
H.
1960.
California
ocean
Management.
Winzler
and
Kelly
Con­
fisheries
resources
to
the
year
sulting
Engineers.
Eureka,
Califor­
1960.
Calif.
Fish
Game
Comm.
148
pp.

.
Species
Droiiles
:

esr
wch
Library
,_
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S.
Department
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Inter+!­
Tational
Biological
Survey
9uthern
Science
Center
`
10
Cajundome
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*
Headquarters.
Divismn
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Ebotog~
cal
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Washmgton.
DC
x
Eastern
Energy
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WV
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"
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Collms.
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I
I
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99SO3
DEPARTMElT
OF
THE
INTERIOR
U.
S.
FISH
AtID
WllDLlR
SLRVICE
As
the
Nation's
principal
conservation
agency,
the
Department
of
the
Interior
has
responsibility
for
most
of
our
nationally
owned
public
lands
and
natural
resources.
This
includes
fostering
the
wisest
use
of
our
land
and
water
resources,
protecting
our
fish
and
wildlife,
preserving
thoenvironmental
and
cultural
values
of
our
national
parks
and
historical
places,
and
providing
for
the
enjoyment
of
life
through
outdoor
recreation.
The
Department
assesses
our
energy
and
mineral
resources
and
works
to
assure
that
their
development
is
in
the
bast
interests
of
all
our
people.
The
Department
also
has
a
major
responsibility
for
American
Indian
reservation
communities
and
for
people
who
live
in
island
territories
under
U.
S.
administration.
