| Abstract: | The International Pacific Halibut Commission has occasionally examined, at sea, the stomach contents of halibut sacrificed for other research purposes. The stomachs of over 2,700 juvenile halibut collected from across a broad expanse of the Gulf of Alaska and over 1,300 adult halibut from waters off British Columbia and Alaska were examined. Halibut were found to be opportunistic feeders. Juvenile halibut fed almost exclusively on small crustaceans. With increasing size, the diet shifted to larger crustaceans and fish. Pacific sand lance, walleye pollock, octopus, and Tanner crab made up a significant proportion of the halibut diet. The weight of the content of some stomachs has been recorded, but no quantitative analysis has been done. A literature search was conducted to define the role of halibut as a prey item. Little definitive information was located. References indicated that halibut contribute to the diet of several species of fish and marine mammals. In all instances, halibut represented only a minute proportion of any animal's diet. |
|---|