Kimura et al. Stock structure and movement of Anoplopoma fimbria 
475 
Table 7 
Number of sablefish tag releases and recoveries by depth category (in meters). Proportions are proportion of total releases that 
were recovered and the proportion of recoveries that were made at each depth category. Alaska and the west coast was divided at 
50°N latitude, with tagging and recovery occurring within the respective regions. 
Alaska 
Number recovered at depth 
Total 
recoveries 
Depth 
released 
Total 
released 
0-200 
200-400 
400-600 
600-800 
800-1000 
0-200 
11240 
75 
98 
264 
237 
49 
723 
200-400 
19334 
73 
365 
704 
568 
116 
1826 
400-600 
108131 
51 
268 
866 
856 
208 
2249 
600-800 
17572 
11 
41 
206 
312 
64 
634 
800-1000 
683 
2 
0 
7 
31 
14 
54 
Alaska 
Number recovered at depth 
Depth 
Proportion 
released 
recovered 
0-200 
200-400 
400-600 
600-800 
800-1000 
0-200 
0.064 
0.104 
0.136 
0.365 
0.328 
0.068 
200-400 
0.094 
0.040 
0.200 
0.386 
0.311 
0.064 
400-600 
0.021 
0.023 
0.119 
0.385 
0.381 
0.092 
600-800 
0.036 
0.017 
0.065 
0.325 
0.492 
0.101 
800-1000 
0.079 
0.037 
0.000 
0.130 
0.574 
0.259 
West coast 
Number recovered at depth 
Depth 
Total 
Total 
released 
released 
0-200 
200-400 
400-600 
600-800 
800-1000 
recoveries 
0-200 
9208 
376 
386 
34 
3 
0 
799 
200-400 
15283 
309 
2054 
339 
12 
0 
2714 
400-600 
23624 
6 
108 
118 
7 
0 
239 
600-800 
6208 
1 
5 
7 
2 
0 
15 
800-1000 
4327 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
West coast 
Number recovered at depth 
TT 4 * 
uepui 
released 
recovered 
0-200 
200-400 
400-600 
600-800 
800-1000 
0-200 
0.086 
0.471 
0.483 
0.043 
0.004 
0.000 
200-400 
0.178 
0.114 
0.757 
0.125 
0.004 
0.000 
400—600 
0.010 
0.025 
0.452 
0.494 
0.029 
0.000 
600-800 
0.002 
0.067 
0.333 
0.467 
0.133 
0.000 
800-1000 
0.000 
0.000 
0.000 
0.000 
0.000 
0.000 
about the absolute exploitation rate on sablefish, 
because tag loss, survival of tagged fish, and report- 
ing rates are unknown. However, the data seem to 
indicate that the relative exploitation rate of 
substocks is roughly of similar magnitude through- 
out their range. 
Adult sablefish make two types of migrations that 
are quite striking in nature: migrations from the con- 
tinental slope across abyssal plains to seamounts, 
and long-range migrations along the continental 
slope that can extend all the way from the Bering 
Sea to southern California in either direction. The 
mechanism for accomplishing these long-range mi- 
grations has been discussed very little in the litera- 
ture, although Moser et al. (1994) suggest that mi- 
gration to seamounts may be midwater over the 
abyss. 
Because adult sablefish are demersal, one possible 
mechanism for accomplishing these long-range mi- 
grations is that sablefish follow the continental slope, 
or sea floor. Because these deep areas are in the low- 
oxygen zone (Bakun, 1996), this route would appear 
