After they grow longer than 5 or 6 inches, they feed predominantly on fish, but they are not very selective. There is no pairing, and the fish form a great milling mass over clean gravel and stones where eggs and sperm are released. Burbot mature as young as 2 to 4 years near the southern part of their distribution, but as much as 7 years farther north. An average female will lay about 600,000 small eggs, but large female s may have nearly 1.5 million. After the eggs are fertilized, they settle to the bottom and develop without any attention or care from the parents.
Growth rate depends on both feeding conditions and water temperature.
Those near the southern part of their range generally grow faster than those from the north. In the US, burbot are not well-known and have been largely overlooked. Early explorers in the Canadian Arctic ate it only as a last resort, and over much of its range, the burbot is not eaten. In Alaska, however, it is often sought after, especially by ice fishermen. I have heard some people say that they prefer the flavor of burbot over that of halibut.