200 
Fishery Bulletin 113(2) 
2.4 
2.2 
1.8 
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 
Age (years) 
Figure 5 
Mean Fulton’s condition factor ( K) by age for female and male 
Atlantic wolffish ( Anarhichas lupus ) captured on the Stellwagen 
Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Massachusetts, from 23 May 
to 8 June 2011. Error bars indicate 1 standard deviation. 
derms, gastropods, and decapod crustaceans. By fre- 
quency of individual species, sea and Iceland scallops 
were most common, followed by whelks (Buccinum sp.), 
green sea urchin ( Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis), 
hermit crabs ( Pagurus sp.), and ocean quahogs (Nelson 
and Ross, 1992). We found similar dietary groups but 
a different order of rankings. Although the sea scallop 
still ranked first in frequency and volume, hermit crabs 
were more predominant in the diet of wolffish sampled 
during spring 2011, followed by ocean quahogs, gastro- 
pods, green sea urchin, and Jonah crab ( Cancer borea- 
lis). Dietary differences may be a reflection of spatial 
differences in prey availability or ecological changes in 
the benthic community in the SBNMS area over the 
past 4 decades. 
Some scientists believe communal Atlantic wolf- 
fish foraging areas (or locations that are used by 
large groups) may exist (Auster and Lindholm, 2005). 
This particular area on the SBNMS appears not to be 
complex habitat that is normally associated with es- 
sential wolffish habitat, but rather an assemblage of 
sand and gravel substrates (Table 1) containing scallop 
beds (Hart and Chute, 2004). Considering the density 
of Atlantic wolffish present during May-June, as well 
as their feeding intensity, it is likely that this area of 
the SBNMS is a foraging area for large aggregations of 
Atlantic wolffish. 
We have validated fishermen accounts of high den- 
sity of Atlantic wolffish on the SBNMS, at least for a 
brief period in spring, and these large, mature fish ap- 
pear to use this area as a communal foraging ground. 
Future field studies that use a randomized sampling 
design inside and outside of the SBNMS at varying 
depths from early spring through summer 
would help clarify wolffish distribution. In 
particular, it is not known if Atlantic wolffish 
aggregate on the SBNMS in spring or if this 
area contains a biomass hotspot subject to an- 
nual variability in wolffish densities. For low 
biomass species like Atlantic wolffish (Sosebee 
and Cadrin 4 ), traditional surveys coupled with 
alternative means of sampling are required for 
accurate assessments. Comprehensive tagging 
studies, video monitoring, and targeted coop- 
erative industry surveys would provide more 
information on the movements, ecology, and 
population structure of this data-poor species. 
Acknowledgments 
We thank M. Dean, K. Garabedian, W. Gold- 
smith, K. Little, N. Rennels, K. Rogers, K. 
Thorpe, and K. Trull for laboratory and field 
assistance and H. Howell and R. McBride for 
manuscript review. We also thank Seaport Fish 
Market (Rye, NH) and Little Bay Lobster Com- 
pany (Newington, NH) for freezer space. Last- 
ly, we thank Captains J. Ford (FV Lisa Ann II) 
and C. Bouchard (FV Stormy Weather), without 
whom this research idea would never have surfaced. 
Funding for this research was provided through a 
grant from the Northeast Consortium. 
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