Life Sciences Commons^™

Fishermen's Knowledge Of Halibut And Their Habitat, Julia Beaty

Maine Sea Grant Publications

Relatively few scientific data are available to describe the biology, behavior, and distribution of Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) in the Gulf of Maine. This report contains the results of a study aimed at collecting and summarizing fishermen's knowledge of Atlantic halibut and their habitat off the Maine coast.

Fisheries Now: American Eel, Julia Beaty

Maine Sea Grant Publications

The American eel is the only species in the Gulf of Maine that spends most of its life in freshwater but spawns in the Sargasso Sea, a large area of the Atlantic Ocean south of Bermuda and east of the Bahamas. American eel larvae (known as leptocephali) are transported by ocean currents for nearly a year until they reach the east coast of North America.

Fisheries Now: Alewives And Blueback Herring, Julia Beaty

Maine Sea Grant Publications

Alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) and blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis), collectively referred to as river herring, are anadromous fish, which means they spend most of their adult lives at sea but spawn in freshwater. The two species look very similar. Fishermen usually harvest both species together and generally do not distinguish between the two. In Downeast Maine, alewives are more common than bluebacks and locals often use the terms “alewives” to refer to both species.

Fisheries Then: American Eel, Julia Beaty

Maine Sea Grant Publications

Once abundant in nearly all Maine rivers, American eels (Anguilla rostrata) were an important food source for residents of Downeast Maine, especially during the fall and winter. This article takes a look at American eels fisheries in historical context.

Fisheries Then: Alewives And Blueback Herring, Juila Beaty

Maine Sea Grant Publications

The term “river herring” collectively refers to two species: Alosa pseudoharengus, commonly known as alewife, and the closely related Alosa aestivalis, commonly known as blueback herring, or simply bluebacks. Fishermen in Maine often use the word “alewife” to refer to both alewives and bluebacks.

Each spring streams, rivers, and ponds in Downeast Maine fill with adult alewives, ready to spawn. This seasonal influx represented a major link between freshwater and marine ecosystems, and historically provided an important food source for Wabanaki peoples and European settlers.