Biological Report 82(11.119) 

December 1989 

Species Profiles: Life Histories and 

Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes 

and Invertebrates (Pacific Northwest) 

LINGCOD 

I Fish and Wildlife Service 

Coastal Ecology Group 

Waterways Ex~eriment Station 

U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
Biological Report 82(11.119) 

TR EL-82-4 

December 1989 

Species Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements 

of Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (Pacific Northwest) 

LINGCOD 

William N. Shaw 

Fred Telonicher Marine Laboratory 

Humboldt State University 

Trinidad, CA 95570 

and 

Thomas J. Hassler 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

California Cooperative Fishery Research Unit 

Humboldt State University 

Arcata, CA 95521 

Project Officer 

David Moran 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

National Wetlands Research Center 

1010 Gause Boulevard 

Slidell, LA 70458 

Performed for 

Coastal Ecology Group 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

Waterways Experiment Station 

Vicksburg, MS 39180 

and 

U.S. Department of the Interior 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Research and Development 

Washington, DC 20240 
The mention of trade names does not consitute endorsement or recommendation for use by 

the Federal Government. 

This series may be referenced as follows: 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1983-19-. Species profiles: life histories and environmental 

requirements of coastal fishes and invertebrates. U.S. Fish Wildl. Sen. Biol. Rep. 82(11). U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers, TR EL-82-4. 

This profile may be cited as follows: 

Shaw, W.N., and T.J. Hassler. 1989. Species profiles: life histories and environmental 

requirements of coastal fishes and invertebrates (Pacific Northwest)--lingcod. U.S. Fish Wildl. 

Sem. Biol. Rep. 82(11.119). U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, TR EL-82-4. 10 pp. 
PREFACE 

This species profile is one of a series on coastal aquatic organisms, principally fish, of sport, commercial, 

or ecological importance. The profiles are designed to provide coastal managers, engineers, and biologists 

with a brief comprehensive sketch of the biological characteristics and environmental requirements of the 

species and to describe how populations of the species may be expected to react to environmental changes 

caused by coastal development. Each profile has sections on taxonomy, life history, ecological role, 

environmental requirements, and economic importance, if applicable. A three-ring binder is used for this 

series so that new profiles can be added as they are prepared. This project is jointly planned and financed by 

the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Sewice. 

Suggestions or questions regarding this report should be directed to one of the following addresses. 

Information Transfer Specialist 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

National Wetlands Research Center 

NASA-Slidell Computer Complex 

1010 Gause Boulevard 

Slidell, LA 70458 

U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station 

Attention: WESER-C 

Post Office Box 63 1 

Vicksburg, MS 391 80 

iii 
CONVERSION TABLE 

Metric to U.S. Customary 

Multiply BY 

millimeters (mm) 0.03937 

centimeters (cm) 0.3937 

meters (m) 3.281 

meters 0.5468 

kilometers (km) 0.6214 

kilometers 0.5396 

2 

square meters (m ) 10.76 

square kilometers &m2) 0.3861 

hectares (ha) 2.471 

liters (1) 0.2642 

cubic meters (m3) 35.31 

cubic meters 0.0008 110 

milligrams (mg) 0.00003527 

grams (g) 0.03527 

kilograms &g) 2.205 

metric tons (t) 2205.0 

metric tons 1.102 

kilocalories &cal) 3.968 

Celsius degrees (O C) 1.8 (" C)+ 32 

U.S. Customary to Metric 

inches 25.40 

inches 2.54 

feet (ft) 0.3048 

fathoms 1.829 

statute miles (mi) 1.609 

nautical miles (nmi) 1.852 

square feet (ft2) 0.0929 

square miles (mi2) 2.590 

acres 0.4047 

gallons (gal)3 3.785 

cubic feet (ft ) 0.0283 1 

acre-feet 1233.0 

ounces (02) 28350.0 

ounces 28.35 

pounds (lb) 0.4536 

pounds 0.00045 

short tons (ton) 0.9072 

British thermal units (Btu) 0.2520 

Fahrenheit degrees (O F) 0.5556 (" F - 32) 

To Obtain 

inches 

inches 

feet 

fathoms 

statute miles 

nautical miles 

square feet 

square miles 

acres 

gallons 

cubic feet 

acre-feet 

ounces 

ounces 

pounds 

pounds 

short tons 

British thermal units 

Fahrenheit degrees 

millimeters 

centimeters 

meters 

meters 

kilometers 

kilometers 

square meters 

square kilometers 

hectares 

liters 

cubic meters 

cubic meters 

milligrams 

grams 

kilograms 

metric tons 

metric tons 

kilocalories 

Celsius degrees 
CONTENTS 

PREFACE ..................................................... iii 

CONVERSION TABLE ........................................... iv 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................... vi 

NOMENCLATUREDMONOMYIRANGE ............................. 1 

MORPHOLOGY/IDENTIFICATION AIDS ............................. 1 

REASON FOR INCLUSION IN SERIES ............................... 3 

LIFEHISTORY ................................................. 3 

Spawning .................................................... 3 

LarvalStage .................................................. 3 

Juvenile Stages ................................................ 4 

Adultstage .................................................. 4 

GROWTH AND SIZE AT AGE ..................................... 4 

THEFISHERY ................................................. 4 

AQUACULTURE ............................................... 6 

ECOLOGICAL ROLE ............................................ 6 

ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS ............................... 7 

Depth ...................................................... 7 

Habitat ...................................................... 7 

Migration .................................................... 7 

REFERENCES ................................................. 9 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

We gratefully acknowledge the reviews by Peter Adams of the National Marine Fisheries Service 

and Robert Lee of the California Department of Fish and Game. 
Figure 1. Lingcod. 

LINGCOD 

NOMENCLATURE/TAXONOMY/RANGE and small cycloid scales that cover the body and 

head (Hart 1973). 

Scientific name ...... Ophiodon elongatus 

Preferred common name ....... lingcod 

(Figure 1) 

Other common names ..... cultus cod, blue 

cod, bluefish, green cod, buffalo cod, bocalao, 

greenling, white cod (Roedel 1948) 

Class ................. Osteichthyes 

Order ................. Scorpaenifom 

Family ................ Hexagrammidae 

Geographic range: Pta. San Carlos, Baja 

California, to Kodiak Island, Alaska (Miller 

and Lea 1972; Figure 2). 

MORPHOLOGY/IDENTIFICATION AIDS 

Lingcod are elongated fish tapering toward 

the caudal peduncle. They are recognizable by 

a long single moderately notched dorsal fin, 

large mouth, large teeth, thoracic pelvic fins, 

Dorsal fin rays XXTV-XXVII, 21-24, spinous 

part slightly incised; anal 111, 21-24, spines in 

adults buried in flesh; pectorals much expanded; 

pelvics I, 5; vertebrae 55-57 (Hart 1973). 

(Note: Miller and Lea (1972) reported dorsal 

fin rays XXV-XXVIII, 19-24 and vertebrae 56- 

58.) Color varies from gray-brown to green and 

bluish, with darker spotting and mottling on 

upper parts (Miller and Lea 1972). Juveniles 

may retain fluorescent grid marks for 3 months 

(Phillips and Barraclough 1977). Total length 

to 152 cm. Body depth about 114.5 (standard 

length (SL)); head large, conical, depressed, its 

length about 113 SL (Hart 1973). Mouth 

terminal, large with great gape, directed slightly 

upward. Maxillary extended beyond posterior 

part of eye with lower jaw projecting. Teeth 

!arge, canine. Eye oval, rather small, length 

about 116 (length of head). Gill membranes 

briefly united anteriorly, free from isthmus. 

Anal papilla in male. 
WASHINGTON 

KILOMETERS 

CALIFORN lA 

OREGON 

Figure 2. Distribution of lingcod in the Pacific Northwest. 
REASONS FOR INCLUSION IN SERIES 

The lingcod is an important sport and 

commercial fish, highly esteemed in the fresh 

seafood market. It occupies a special coastal 

niche generally in rocky locations and sand 

bottoms where there is considerable current 

(Wilby 1937). Any disruption of the coastal 

habitat by humans could seriously affect this 

important fishery. Consequently, careful 

consideration must be given to any proposed 

coastal manipulation. 

LIFE HISTORY 

Biological information about lingcod was 

summarized by Wilby (1937), Miller and Geibel 

(1973), and Bargmann (1982). The spawning 

season extends from about mid-December to 

mid-March, although most of the fish have laid 

their eggs before the end of January. Prior to 

spawning time, males move into the nesting area 

to establish territories (Bargmann 1982). 

Females are rarely seen on the spawning 

grounds, and are assumed to move into the area 

long enough to deposit their eggs and leave 

(Adam 1986). Females deposit their eggs in 

crevices between large rocks or slightly under a 

boulder or rocky shelf from 3 to 10 m below 

the lowest tide level and where there are strong 

currents (Wilby 1937). A transparent, yellowish, 

highly viscous secretion is extruded with the 

eggs which, upon contact with salt water, forms 

a strong adhesive for the attachment of eggs to 

the rocky surface. Each time the female lays a 

layer of eggs, the male fertilizes them with short 

successive jets of milt. When spawning is 

completed, the female leaves the area and the 

male remains to guard the eggs. 

Lingcod eggs are about 2.8 mm in diameter 

when first extruded but swell to about 3.5 mm 

shortly after contact with water (Forrester 

1%9). A female 76 cm long and weighing 

4.5 kg had about 60,000 eggs, and another that 

was 92 cm long and weighed 11.1 kg produced 

about 518,000 eggs (Wilby 1937). Hart (1%7) 

reported that a 100-cm female carried about 

290,000 eggs. An egg mass, after being laid, 

can be up to 5 liters in volume (Giorgi and 

Congleton 1984). The exact incubation time is 

not known (Wilby 1937) but has been estimated 

to be 6-8 weeks (Jewel1 1%8). 

Lurval Stage 

Larvae are about 7-1 1.5 mm long at hatching 

(Figure 3). The yolk sac is absorbed about 10 

eZiG=-=> 

7 mm early March 

IOmm mid March 

14 mm late March 

20mm early Apri I 

- 

30 mm late April 

50 mm early May 

80 mm early June 

Figure 3. Development of lingcod from their 

first appearance in the surface plankton to 

their disappearance from inshore surface 

waters off British Columbia (from Phillips and 

Barraclough 1977). 
days after hatching. The larvae can be identified by the small yolk sac, bright yellow oil 

globule near the liver, large blue eyes, elongated 

body, large mouth, and bright green gallbladder 

(Wilby 1937; Forrester 1969). Larvae are 

extremely active and move rapidly along the 

bottom. They feed on small copepods and 

copepod eggs; as they grow, their diet expands 

to include larger copepods, fish larvae, and 

larvaceans which are a type of pelagic tunicate 

(Grosse 1982). 

Juvenile stages have been extensively studied 

by Phillips and Barraclough (1977) for the area 

around Vancouver Island, Canada. While in 

these open waters, they grow about 1 mm per 

day. Around 70-80 mm long, the juveniles 

congregate in inshore locations. Small juveniles 

shift their feeding from zooplankton, mainly 

copepods, to juvenile herring. Captive juveniles 

held in aquariums keep their fluorescent grid 

marks for 3 months. The captive fsh grow 

rapidly when fed live or frozen juvenile fish 

(Phillips and Barraclough 1977). In the Strait 

of Georgia, the total length (TL) of juvenile 

lingcod are 1-3 cm by April and 17-35 cm by 

December; the average is 27 cm by the end of 

the first year of life (March) and 47 cm at the 

end of the second year. 

Males mature at a smaller size and younger 

age than females. Wilby (1937) observed that 

the smallest mature male was 52 cm TL and the 

smallest female 77 cm. Phillips (1959) observed 

that both male and female lingcod start to 

mature at 58 cm TL and that practically all 

were mature at 65 cm. Forrester (1969) stated 

that the smallest mature male was 46 cm TL 

(age 11) and female 70 cm (age V). Adult 

lingcod can be sexed externally: males have a 

distinct papilla just forward of the anus. 

The life span is shorter in male lingcod than 

in females. Males live to an average of 12 

years and females 15 years (Forrester 1%9) or 

males 14 years and females 16 years (Phillips 

1959). 

GROWTH AND SIZE AT AGE 

Fin rays, scales, vertebrae, and tag and 

recovery data have been used to estimate the 

age and growth of lingcod. Phillips (1959) 

reported that the use of scales and otoliths to 

estimate age was unsuccessful but that vertebrae 

showed promise. Chatwin (1954, 1956) used 

vertebrae to estimate age; Beamish and Chilton 

(1977) used fin rays successfully but wrote that 

the use of scales to age fish older than age V 

was difficult. Chatwin (1956) found that age 

determinations from vertebrae yielded growth 

curves similar to those of tagged lingcod. 

The average length attained at different ages 

(estimated from vertebrae) for male and female 

lingcod from British Columbia waters is shown 

in Figure 4 (Chatwin 1954, 1956). 

At age 111, differential growth between sexes 

in some populations becomes more marked; 

females are about 58 cm long and males slightly 

smaller (Forrester 1969). Miller and Geibel 

(1973) aged California fish using otoliths. They 

found that a 3-year-old lingcod of either sex 

averaged around 50 cm TL, but thereafter male 

and female growth patterns diverged widely 

(Figure 5). 

THE FISHERY 

Lingcod are consistently caught along the 

Pacific coast. From 1948 to 1967, the total 

average annual catch was 4,775 t: 579 t from 

California, 1,778 t from Washington, and 2,063 

t from Canada (Miller and Geibel 1973). Total 

catch from the United States was 4,046 t 

(valued at $2.3 million) in 1984, and 3,672 t 

(valued at $2.2 million) in 1985. In both years, 

the catch off Washington was the largest--2,038 

t in 1984 and 1,931 t in 1985 (Korson 1986). 

The commercial landings of lingcod off 

Washington from 1970 to 1985 ranged from a 
low ot 771 t in 1972 to 2,086 t in 1984 (Ward 

and Hoines 1985). Before 1970, the highest 

landing of lingcod from Washington was 3,719 t 

in 1944 (Ward et al. 1970). 

L 

100 . 

0 - 80. 

Five types of commercial fishing gear are 

used to catch lingcod--bottomfish trolling gear, 

handline jig, otter trawl, set net, and set line. 

The dominant commercial fihing gear in Puget 

Sound is bottomfish troll which harvests about 

72% of the total lingcod caught. About 16% of 

the lingcod catch is taken in the otter trawl, the 

second most important gear used in the sound 

(Bargmann 1982). About 50% of the 

commercial harvest in Puget Sound is taken in 

3 months--March (16%), April (21%), and May 

(12%). The sex ratio of lingcod captured by 

different gears is shown in Table 1. 

20 

0 

The Japanese developed live-bait fihing done 

with vessels that had live-wells for the storage 

Figure 4. Average length attained at different of the catch. Herring was used for bait and the 

ages by male and female lingcod from British lingcod were caught by jigging. The fsh 

Columbia (Chatwin 1954, 1956). remained in the live-well until the capacity was 

reached. The lingcod were later transferred to 

a live-box at a base camp for later shipment to 

market (Wilby 1937). 

. 

-. 

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 

AGE IN YEARS 

Two major methods are used in the sport 

fishery--hook and line and spear (Bargmann 

1982). Lingcod are caught from piers, the 

shoreline, party boats, and skiffs and are 

speared by skin divers (Miller and Geibel 1973). 

1100- 

1000 

900 

- BOO E 

5 700. x 

600 

Z 

W, 500. 

J 

$400- 

cO 300 

200 

100 

0 

Table 1. Sex ratio of lingcod captured with 

different gear, 1978-80 (Bargmann 1982). 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

I''.'Ia"'L 

0 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1011 121314 

Gear 

AGE IN YEARS 

b 

Percent 

male 

Spear 81 

Sport angling 78 

Bottomfsh troll 74 

Hand line jig 71 

Otter trawl Figure 5. Van Bertalanffy growth regressions 

for California male and female lingcod (from Set net 

Miller and Geibel 1973). 
In Puget Sound, between 20,000 and 30,000 bh 

are caught annually with hook and line 

(Bargmann 1982). In California, the statewide 

catch of lingcod from party boats has ranged 

from 103,%5 fish caught in 1972 to 42,449 

caught in 1968 (Oliphant 1979). Catches from 

skiffs are greatest from February to May, a 

period that corresponds with increased post 

spawning feeding in shallow waters (Miller and 

Geibel 1973). In Puget Sound, spearfishing is 

an effective method of harvesting lingcod, with 

the greatest catch occurring in the winter and 

early spring when the weather is calm and 

lingcod are abundant inshore. The catch is 

predominantly males (%%) (Bargmann 1982). 

mainly juvenile rockfiih Sebastes spp., were the 

most common food. Of the cephalopods, half 

were squid Loligo opalescens and half were 

octopus Octopus bimaculam. Gastropods eaten 

were Calliostoma, Tegula, and Nassarius. 

Crustaceans included Cancer crab and the 

shrimp Spirontocaris (Miller and Geibel 1W3). 

Since lingcod move diurnally, their food varies 

considerably during different times of the day. 

At night they are in shallow water and feed on 

sand lance and flatfish; as ambient light 

intensifies, they move to deeper water and feed 

on herring and spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias 

(Wilby 1937). 

To regulate the sport catch there is a three- Feeding behavior of lingcod has been 

fish bag limit in Washington and Oregon and a observed in an aquarium (Wilb~ 1937)- The 

five-fish bag limit in California. There is also a fish remained on the bottom most of the time 

559 mm (22 inch) minimum size limit in with its body at an angle of about 15 to 20 

California (Adams 1986). degrees with the bottom. The eyes moved from 

time to time as a small fish swam overhead. 

Then, with a rapid movement, the lingcod AQUACULTURE darted upward and seized the prey by the tail. 

Few attempts have been made to rear 

lingcod. No successful method of raising 

juveniles from hatchlings has been developed, 

but culturists have attempted to rear native 

juveniles in floating cages (Grosse 1982). The 

fish were caught with a modified 16-foot shrimp 

trawl, transferred to cages, and fed frozen 

herring chunks and Oregon Moist Pellets. At 

the end of the 52 day experiment, 62% had 

survived with most mortalities attributed to 

cannibalism. The fish did not consume the 

Oregon Moist Pellets. 

ECOLOGICAL ROLE 

Lingcod feed on a variety of organisms. 

Juvenile lingcod feed on crustaceans such as 

shrimp-like Neomysis macrops and the common 

prawn Pandalus danae (Wilby 1937), and small 

fish such as herring Clupea sp. and Pacific sand 

lance Arnodytes haapterus (Grosse 1982). Adult 

lingcod apparently are generalist carnivores 

consuming a variety of fish, cephalopods, 

gastropods, and crustaceans (Phillips 1959; 

Quast 1%8; Miller and Geibel 1973). Fishes, 

Lingcod are cannibals when given the 

opportunity. Examination of the stomachs of 

eight nest guarding males revealed the presence 

of small numbers of lingcod eggs (Rohwer 

1978). Studies by Grosse (1982) of cage-reared 

lingcod showed that over 75% of the fih were 

lost because of cannibalism. 

Humans are the main predators of lingcod. 

Most declines in abundance have been due to 

fishing. A 10% exploitation rate can reduce the 

original stock by more than 50% (Ricker 1%3). 

Lingcod are hosts to a number of parasites. 

Arai (1%9) listed nine digenean Trematoda-- 

Lecithaster gibbosus (especially abundant in 

juvenile lingcod), Paraemiuris merus, 

Rhipidocove elongata, Stephanostomum trirtephanum, Tubulovesicula lindbergi; Cestoda-- 

Naybelinia surmenicola, Phyllobothrium sp.; 

Nematoda--Anisahis sp., and Porrocaecum sp. 

The nematode, Cucullanus elongum is probably 

the main natural parasite of the lingcod caught 

off Vancouver Island, B.C. (Berland 1983). Of 

42 lingcod examined, 12 harbored this parasite. 

Kabata (1%9) noted that the copepod 
Chondracanthus narium was a parasite in the 

nasal cavity of lingcod. Fraser (1919) and 

Kabata (1973) also observed the copepod 

Lepeophtheirus breviventais in the buccal cavity 

of lingcod. Parasitic tricodinid ciliates were 

collected by Bell (1%2) off the gills of lingcod, 

and Turner et al. (1969) found the isopod 

Livonica vulgares parasitizing the lingcod's 

branchial chamber. Shiimo (1965) collected the 

copepod, Lepeophtheirus trifsdus from the body 

surface of lingcod. 

pelagic larvae of lingcod could be highly 

susceptible to annual fluctuations in the 

environment, e.g., salinity, temperature, etc., 

since their survival may depend on the type and 

abundance of the food supply. 

The vertical distribution of lingcod is from 

the surface to at least 420 m (Hart 1973) while 

the bulk of the population is in waters less than 

100 m deep (Alverson et al. 1%4). Generally, 

juveniles are found nearshore in shallow water 

of lingcod may from the among the and grass Zostera 

penetration by the spines of the marine diatom mrina, and over sandy bottom, while adults are Chaetoceros convolun*r into the gill tissue. Bell found in deeper water. (1%1), who exposed healthy l&inch lingcod to 

the diatom, reported that one fish died and =bitat setae were found imbedded in the gill tissue. 

Lingcod are susceptible to oil pollution. 

Lingcod populations in rocky habitats are likely 

to suffer significant damage from spilled oil or 

other petrochemical products (Ilg et al. 1979). 

A number of heavy metals have been found 

in lingcod. LeBlanc and Jackson (1973) found 

0.3 mgkg of arsenic in the body muscle of one 

fish from the west coast of Canada; Fimreite et 

al. (1971) found 0.08-0.27 ppm mercury in the 

lateral muscle of lingcod from Port Alberni, 

Nanaimo, and Horseshore Bay, B.C., Canada, 

and Childs and Gaffke (1973) found 0.06- 

0.73 ppm of mercury in lingcod collected along 

the Oregon coast. 

Lingcod occupy areas where there is water 

movement and food is abundant. They live in 

rocky locations with considerable current but 

avoid muddy bottoms and stagnant water, except 

that some have been observed over sandy and 

mud bottoms. 

Wilby (1937) listed two environments where 

lingcod are most plentiful: 

(1) The more or less precipitous slopes of 

submerged banks from 10-70 m below the 

surface, where there is a rich growth of 

seaweeds, kelp, eel grass, and hydroids 

forming a vast feeding ground for many 

species of small fish. 

(2) In channels where strong currents flow Residues of DDT have been found in ling- over and around reefs and carry quantities of cod. Shaw (1972) found 0.22 ppm in liver and plankton and plankton-feeding fish that 0.04 ppm in flesh samples from fish collected at concentrate in the tide-rips and whirlpools. Monterey, California. 

Benthic spawning by lingcod makes the 

ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS 

Little has been published about the environspecies vulnerable to disturbance of the 

substrate by oil spills or by activities such as 

dredge-and-fill operations. 

mental requirements of lingcod. Parsons et al. 

(1970) speculated that lingcod larvae feed Me 

primarily on zooplankton in the size range of The movement of mature lingcod were 250-512 micrometers and that their survival is examined when 3,145 fish were tagged and greatly influenced by variations in the quantity 

of the smaller microzooplankton. Thus, the liberated off Vancouver Island, B.C. (Phillips I 
1959). Of 419 tagged fish recovered, only 9% establish a restricted home range. A tagged 

moved more than 8 km from the location of male lingcod recovered after 12 years and 2 

release. The movement of immature fish, months was caught in about the same location 

~56 cm long, was somewhat more widespread; where it was tagged. This observation supports 

they were recovered as far as 16 km from the the general finding that lingcod are rather 

area of release. Mature fsh apparently sedentary. 
REFERENCES 

Adarns, P. 1986. Status of lingcod (Ophiodon 

elongatus) stocks off the coast of Washington, 

Oregon and California. Pages 7-1 to 7-50 in 

Status of the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery 

through 1986 and recommended acceptable 

biological catches for 1987. Pacific Fishery 

Management Council, Portland, Oregon. 

Alverson, D.L., AT. Pruter, and L.L. Ronholdt. 

1%4. A study of demersal fishes and 

fisheries of the northeastern Pacific Ocean. 

H.R. MacMillan Lectures in Fisheries. Univ. 

British Columbia Inst. Fish. 190 pp. 

Arai, H.P. 1%9. Preliminary report on the 

parasites of certain marine fishes of British 

Columbia. J. Fish Res. Board Can. 

26(9):23 19-2337. 

Bargmann, G.G. 1982. The biology and 

fisheries for lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) in 

Puget Sound. Wash. Dep. Fish. Tech. Rep. 

66. 69 pp. 

Beamish, R.J., and D. Chilton. 1977. Age 

determination of lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) 

using dorsal fin rays and scales. J. Fish. Res. 

Board Can. 34(9):1305-13 13. 

Bell, G.R. 1%1. Penetration of spines from a 

marine diatom into the gill tissue of lingcod 

(Ophiodon elongatus). Nature (Lond.) 

192(4799):279-280. 

Bell, G.R. 1%2. Notes: Tricodinids from the 

gills of a new host, the lingcod Ophiodon 

elongatus. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 

19(3):515-516. 

Berland, B. 1983. Redescription of Cucullanus 

elongatus Smedley, 1933 (Nematoda: 

Seuratoidea) from the lingcod Ophiodon 

elongatus Girard, 1854 from the Pacific Coast 

of Canada. Can. J. Zool. 61(2):385-395. 

Chatwin, B.M. 1954. Growth of young lingcod. 

Fish. Res. Board. Can., Prog. Rep. Pac. Coast 

Sta. 9914-17. 

Chatwin, B.M. 1956. Age and growth of lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus). Fish. Res. Board 

Can., Prog. Rep. Pacific Coast Sta. 105:22-26. 

Childs, E.A, and J.N. Gaffke. 1973. Mercury 

content of Oregon groundfish. U.S. Natl. 

Mar. Fish. Serv. Fish. Bull. 71(3):713-717. 

Fimreite, N., W.N. Holsworth, J.A Keith, P.k 

Pearce, and I.M. Gruchy. 1971. Mercury in 

fish and fish-eating birds near sites of 

industrial contamination in Canada. Can. 

Field-Nat. 85(3):211-220. 

Forrester, C.R. 1%9. Life history information 

on some groundfish species. Fish Res. Board 

Can. Tech. Rep. Series No. 105. 17 pp. 

Fraser, C.M. 1919. Copepods parasitic on fish 

from the Vancouver Island Region. Trans. 

R. Soc. Can. Ser. 3, 13(5):45-67. 

Giorgi, AE., and J.L. Congleton. 1984. Effects 

of current velocity on development and 

survival of lingcod, Ophiodon elongatus, 

embryos. Environ. Biol. Fishes lO(1-2):15-27. 

Grosse, D.J. 1982. An experiment in the 

artificial rearing of lingcod (Ophiodon 

elongatus Girard) for purposes of 

enhancement. Wash. Dep. Fish. Tech. Rep. 

No. 70. 92 pp. 

Hart, J.L. 1967. Fecundity and length-weight 

relationship in lingcod. J. Fish. Res. Board 

Can. 24(11):2485-2489. 
Hart, J.L. 1973. Pacific fishes of Canada. Georgia, British Columbia: a review. J. Fish. 

Fish. Res. Board Can. Bull. 180. 740 pp. Res. Board Can. 27:125 1-1264. 

Ilg, J., J.M. Walton, and R.M. Buckley. 1979. 

An annotated bibliography of the lingcod, 

Ophiodon elongatus. State of Wash. Dep. 

Fish. Tech. Rep. 51. 25 pp. 

Jewell, E.D. 1%. Scuba diving observations 

on lingcod spawning at a Seattle breakwater. 

Wash. Dep. Fish. Fish. Res. Paper 3:27-34. 

Kabata, F. 1%9. Chondracanthus narium sp. 

n. (Copepoda:Chondracanthidae), a parasite 

of nasal cavities of Ophiodon elongatus 

(Pisces: Teleostei) in British Columbia. J. 

Fish Res. Board Can. 26(11):3043-3047. 

Kabata, F. 1973. The species of 

Lepeophtheirus (Copepoda: Caligidae) from 

fishes in British Columbia. J. Fish. Res. 

Board Can. 30(6):729-751. 

Korson, C.S. 1986. Economic status of the 

Washington, Oregon, and California groundfish fishery in 1985. NOAA Tech. Memo. 

NMFS, NOAA-TM-NMFS, SWR-014. 29 pp. 

LeBlanc, P.J., and AL. Jackson. 1973. Arsenic 

in marine fish and invertebrates. Mar. Pollut. 

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Miller, D.J., and J.J. Geibel. 1973. Summary 

of blue rockfish and lingcod life histories: a 

reef ecology study; and giant kelp, 

Macrocystis pyrifera, experiments in Monterey 

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Bull. 158:131 pp. 

Miller, D.J., and R.N. Lea. 1972. Guide to 

the coastal and marine fishes of California. 

Calif. Dep. Fish Game Fish Bull. 157:249 pp. 

Oliphant, M.S. 1979. California marine fish 

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Parsons, T.R., R.J. LeBrasseur, and W.E. 

Barraclough. 1970. Levels of production in 

the pelagic environment of the Strait of 

Phillips, kc., and W.E. Barraclough. 1977. 

On the early life history of the lingcod 

(Ophiodon elongatus). Fish. Res. Board Can. 

Tech. Rep. 756. 35 pp. 

Phillips, J.B. 1959. A review of the lingcod, 

Ophiodon elongatus. Calif. Fish Game 

45(1): 19-27. 

Quast, J.C. 1%. Observations of the food of 

the kelp-bed fishes. Calif. Dep. Fish Game 

Fish Bull. 139: 109- 142. 

Ricker, W.E. 1%3. Big effects from small 

causes: two examples from fish population 

dynamics. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 

20(2):257-264. 

Roedel, P.H. 1948. Common ocean fishes of 

the California coast. Calif. Dep. Fish Game 

Fish Bull. 68:150 pp. 

Rohwer, S. 1978. Parent cannibalism of 

offspring and egg raiding as a courtship 

strategy. Am. Nat. 1 12(984):429-440. 

Shaw, S.B. 1972. DDT residues in eight 

California marine fishes. Calif. Fish Game 

58(1):22-26. 

Shiimo, S.M. 1%5. Parasitic copepods of the 

Eastern Pacific fishes. Rep. Fac. Fish. 

Prefect. Univ. Mie 5(2):441-454. 

Turner, C.H., E. Ebert, and R.R. Given. 1%9. 

Man-made reef ecology. Calif. Dep. Fish 

Game Fish Bull. 146:221 pp. 

Ward, D.R., R. Robinson, G. Nye, and D. 

Reed. 1970. 1970 Fisheries Statistical 

Report. Department of Fisheries, State of 

Washington. 83 pp. 

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Fisheries Statistical Report. Department of 

Fisheries, State of Washington. 101 pp. 

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elongatus Girard. Fish. Res. Board Can. Bull. 

54. 24 pp. 
3. Rec~p~enl's Access~on No. 1 

50272 -101 

4. Title and Subtitle 

Species Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements 

of Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (Pacific Northwest)--Lingcod 

REPORT DOCUMENTATION I 1. REPORT NO. 

PAGE 1 Biological Report 82(11.119)* 

7. Authods) 

William N. Shaw and Thomas J. Hassler 

2. 

9. Performin Orpmnization Name and Address 

~umbofdt State University U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

Department of Fisheries Calif. Coop. Fishery Research Unit 

Fred Telonicher Marine Lab. Humboldt State Universitv 

8. Performing Organization Rept. No. I 10. ProiectlTasklWork Unit No. 

11. Contract(C) or Crant(C) No. 

1 12. Trinidad, 

Sponsoring 

CA 

Organization 

95570 Name and Address Arcata, CA 95521 

,-. I 

U.S. Department of the Interior 'U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 13. Type of Report 6 Period Covered 

Fish and Wildlife Service Waterways Experiment Station 

Research and Development P.O. Box 631 

Washington, DC 20240 Vicksburg, MS 39180 

-- 15. Supplementary Note* 

*US. Army Corps of Engineers Report No. TR EL-82-4 

I 

16. Abstract (Limit: 200 words) 

Species Profiles are literature summaries of the taxonomy, morphology, distribution, life history, and 

environmental requirements of coastal aquatic species. They are prepared to assist in environmental impact 

assessments. Lingcod, especially during the spawning season, could suffer from oil spills. The lingcod, 

Ophiodon elongatus, spawns during winter in rocky areas where currents are strong. Lingcod spawn over rocky 

substrates and the eggs are benthic. Fecundity increases with body weight, e.g., one lingcod weighing 4.5 kg 

had about 60,000 eggs and one weighing 14.5 kg had about 518,000 eggs. Larvae are extremely active: at 

first, they feed on small copepods and copepod eggs; later they shift to larger invertebrates and fish larvae. 

Juvenile lingcod feed on crustaceans and small fish whereas adult lingcod apparently are generalist carnivores 

(feeding principally on fish). Females become larger and live longer than males. Lingcod contribute to large 

sport and commercial fisheries. Commercial fishermen use trolling gear, handling jigs, set nets, and set lines, 

and otter trawls. Sport fishermen use spears or hook and line. Mariculture of lingcod is unlikely in the near 

future, since no one has succeeded in rearing them from egg to market size. 

17. Document Analysis a. Descriptors 

Fishes Commercial and sport fisheries Habitat 

Fisheries Aquaculture Migration 

Life history Feeding 

Maturity Parasites 

b. IdentlfieolOoen.Ended Terms 

Lingcod 

Ophiodon elongatus 

I C. COSATI FieldlCroup I 16. Availability Statement 1 19. Securuty Class (This Report) 1 21. No. of Pages I 1 Unlimited release 1 IJnclassified 

20. Security Class (This Page) I t2. price 

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