Posted on 04/06/2007 4:03:02 PM PDT by blam
Photo in the News: Century-Old Fish Caught in Alaska
April 6, 2007—A handful of Christians preparing rockfish as part of their traditional fish dinner this Good Friday might be feasting on one of the oldest creatures ever to live in Alaskan waters.
Commercial fishers in the Bering Sea recently hauled in the female shortraker rockfish seen above, which scientists say was between 90 and 115 years old. Researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) used growth rings in the fish's ear bone, or otolith, to make their age estimate.
NOAA scientists also found that the fish's advanced years had yet to take a toll on its reproductive abilities.
"The belly was large," NOAA researcher Paul Spencer told the Associated Press. "The ovaries were full of developing embryos."
A Seattle, Washington-based ship caught the 44-inch-long (112-centimenter-long), 60-pound (27-kilogram) fish while trawling for pollock at about 2,100 feet (640 meters) below the surface. The massive mama was among ten shortrakers pulled from the depths along with roughly 75 tons of the smaller commercially fished species.
The fish's age and size both approach the maximum known limits for shortrakers. The largest on record measured 47 inches (119 centimeters) long, and the oldest ever caught was 157 years.
—Victoria Jaggard
Ping.
Let's not go there.
looks like a huge red snapper to me
You’re clearly talking about how long it’s been in the restaurant freezer, right?
I certainly hope it tastes better than it looks.
amazin’ !!!
Ain’t as big as no big texas catfish, though, is it?
That’s one ugly fish.
Eggs in the belly. When she taps you on the shoulder for relations, you don’t say no with that puss.
But was it a record?
Pictures:
YUK.
damn sure not a rockfish
Trawling 2100 ft deep. Wow, that’s deep.
Helen Thomas surfaces in the strangest places.
Yup. Red snapper. My favorite.
I once swapped someone at the dock my 85 lb halibut for a 40 lb snapper.
I love those fish.
Wow! But are catfish that large good to eat? I’ve heard that they aren’t.
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