Demersal Fishes and Invertebrates IVawled in the 



Northeastern Chukchi and 



Western Beaufort Seas, 1976-77 



KATHRYN J. FROST and LLOYD F. LOWRY' 

 ABSTRACT 



Thirty-five successful otter trawl tows were conducted in the northeastern Chukchi and western Beaufort 

 Seas in August-September of 1976 and 1977. Nineteen species or species groups of fishes and 238 invertebrate 

 taxa were identified. Three of the fishes (Boreogadus saida^ Lycodes polaris^ and Icelus bicornis) accounted for 

 65% of all fishes caught. Information on size, reproductive condition, and food habits is presented for those 

 three as well as for Artediellus scaber, Aspidophoroides olriki. Liparis spp., Eumicrotremus derjitgini, Gymnelis 

 viridis, and Icelus spatula. The first Beaufort Sea records are reported for three species: Arctogadus gtacialis, 

 Lycodes raridens, and Eumesogrammus praecisus. Of the invertebrate taxa, echinoderms (mainl> brittle stars 

 and crinoids) were the most abundant, and in most cases comprised more than 75% of the total trawl biimiass. 

 West of long. I54°\V, brittle stars, Ophiura sarsi, were predominant whereas east of long. I50''V\' the inverte- 

 brate community was characterized by crinoids {Heliometra glacialis) and small scallops {Deleclopecten 

 groenlandicus). Information on size, reproductive condition, and depth distribution is presented fitr brachy- 

 uran crabs and shrimps and the occurrence of other major invertebrate groups is summarized. A complete list 

 of species and stations at which each was caught is included. 



INTRODUCTION 



Since 1975, as a prelude to offshore petroleum exploration, bio- 

 logical research in the Alaskan sector of the Beaufort Sea has been 

 intensified under the auspices of the Alaskan Outer Continental 

 Shelf Environmental Assessment Program (OCSEAP). In the 

 course of these studies, it became evident that information on the 

 distribution, abundance, and life history characteristics of offshore 

 fishes and cpibenthic invertebrates was almost totally lacking. 

 Since certain of those organisms were known to be important prey 

 of marine mammals, seabirds, and other fishes, a trawl survey was 

 conducted in the northeastern Chukchi and western Beaufort Seas 

 to begin to obtain such information. Since trawls were made in con- 

 junction with an investigation of the feeding and trophic relation- 

 ships of ringed seals, Phoca hispida, and bearded seals, Eh^imthiis 

 barbatiis, more detailed attention was paid to species or groups 

 which were of potential importance to these seals. 



Walters (1955) summarized information available prior to 1955 

 on the marine fish fauna of arctic Alaska and included a discussion 

 of taxonomy and zoogeography. Alvcrson and Wilimovsky ( 1966) 

 and Qua.st (1972) conducted trawl surveys in the Chukchi Sea south 

 of Icy Cape. Quast and Hall (1972) published a list of fishes of 

 Alaska and included some new records from Icy Cape and Point 

 Barrow. Pfeifer (1977) compiled an extensive bibliography of 

 fishes of the Beaufort Sea but most of the literature cited therein 

 deals with freshwater, anadromous, and nearshore species. Refer- 

 ences to offshore demersal fishes of the northeastern Chukchi and 

 western Beaufort Seas are restricted to distributional records (pri- 

 marily from near Point Barrow), taxonomic studies, or anecdotal 

 accounts. Life history information for widely distributed species 

 can be found in studies from coa.stal arctic Alaska (e.g., Bendock 

 1979) and Soviet and Canadian waters (Andriyashev 1954; McAl- 

 lister 1962). 



'Alaska Department of Fish and Game, I. 100 College Road. Fairbanks. AK 

 99701. 



Information on epifaunal invertebrates is restricted largely to the 

 Barrow area and nearshore waters. Most reports are of strictly taxo- 

 nomic nature. The report of MacGinitie (1955) provides the most 

 complete information available on the distribution, abundance, and 

 life history of invertebrates near Point Barrow. MacGinitie (1959) 

 described the distribution and taxonomy of gastropods in that area 

 and Hulscmann (1962) gave a similar treatment of bivalve mol- 

 luscs. Shoemaker ( 1955) reported on distribution of amphipods and 

 Menzies and Mohr (1962) examined collections of isopods and 

 tanaids. Hedgpeth (1963) reported on pycnogonids of arctic Amer- 

 ica and Hulsemann and Soule ( 1962) listed some bryozoans found 

 along the arctic coast of Alaska. Squires (1969) described the distri- 

 bution and life history of decapod crustaceans in the Canadian Arc- 

 tic. Recent benthic sampling by Carey (1977) in the western 

 Beaufort Sea has dealt mainly with distribution and abundance of 

 infaunal organisms. Also included in that work is a valuable compi- 

 lation of distributional information and an exhaustive literature sur- 

 vey. 



METHODS 



In 1976 two tows were made in the western Beaufort Sea 

 between long. 152° and 153°W and lat. 71° and 72°N in water 40 

 m and 123 m deep. In 1977 tows were made in the northeastern 

 Chukchi and western Beaufort Seas between long. 164° and 

 141 °W and lat. 70° and 72°N in waters 40 to 400 m deep. Many 

 were conducted near the southern edge of pack ice. We sampled 

 with semiballoon otter trawls of two sizes. Headropes were 4.9 and 

 5.8 m (16 and 19 ft). Nets were constructed of 3.2 cm (I 'A in) 

 stretch mesh webbing with 0.6 cm ( 'A in) stretch mesh liners in the 

 cod ends. Tows were 5-10 min bottom time at a speed of 5-8 km/h. 



Organisms were sorted from debris and readily identifiable spe- 

 cies were counted and weighed. The occurrence of rocks, pebbles, 

 or mud in the net was noted. All organisms were preserved in 10% 

 Formalin. Stomachs of fishes were injected with 10% Formalin. 



