Sablefish

In Alaska, sablefish spawn in deeper water along the continental slope from January to April. Between British Columbia and California, spawning occurs from January to March.

Female begin reproducing once they reach 6 ½ years when they are more than 2 feet in length. Males begin reproducing at 5 years when they are about 1.9 feet in length. A 7 year old female is capable of spawning about 100,000 eggs while a 20 year old can spawn 1,000,000 eggs.

Eggs develop in deep water for about 2 weeks until they hatch. Hatched larvae then rise to the surface and are moved by currents. Off southeast Alaska and British Columbia, juveniles appear in nearshore waters by fall. Juvenile sablefish have been found to migrate more than 2,000 miles in 6 or 7 years. As they grow, sablefish settle in muddy bottoms and sandy seafloors.

Sablefish can live up to 90 years!