Scientists from the All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, MSU-PPI University in Shenzhen, P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS) have obtained for the first time data on the size composition, age, sex structure, growth and maturation of one of the most common deep-sea pelagic fish species in the World Ocean - Sloane’s viperfish Chauliodus sloani (Fig. 1).
In the North Atlantic (Irminger and Labrador Seas), according to the results of the studies, the total length, body weight and age of females were higher than those of males. The maximum length of C. sloani in the study area was the same as that of individuals from the waters of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the Japanese Archipelago, and significantly greater than that of fish from the Mediterranean Sea and the Madeira Archipelago. The lifespan of this species can reach 11 years (Fig. 2). The maximum growth rate was noted before sexual maturity. Sloane’s viperfish is a polycyclic species with a continuous type of oogenesis, indeterminate fecundity and portional spawning. Males are capable of prolonged spawning due to the continuous process of spermatogenesis during the breeding season.
Fig. 2. Otolith of Sloane’s viperfish Chauliodus sloani with a total length of 23.9 cm at the age of 8+ years (● – annual rings).
The conducted research allows us to better understand the adaptive abilities of the studied species and other deep-sea pelagic fish. In addition, taking into account the extremely high biomass of fish and the prospects for fishing in the deep-sea areas of the World Ocean, the obtained results can form the basis for developing a strategy for sustainable management of deep-sea fisheries and conservation of biodiversity and resources of meso- and bathypelagic fish.
Published data of the article: Artemenkov, D.V., Benzik, A.N., Dolgov, A.V., Zhukova, K.A., Rolskii, A.Yu., Terpugova, N.Yu., Dolzhanskaya, V.V., Orlov, A.M. 2025. Observing and modeling life history traits of deep-water fish: a case study of Sloane’s viperfish, Chauliodus sloani (Stomiidae), from the North Atlantic // Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. Art. 109149.