Size, age, occurrence, growth, and food of Greenland halibut,Reinhardtius hippoglossoides(Walbaum) in coastal waters of western Spitzbergen

The fishes were caught at depths below 300 m and were from 9 to 58 cm long. They belonged to six year classes (I–VI), but most of them were from one to four years old. Western Spitzbergen waters thus seem to be a nursery ground for this species. The average yearly increment in length was nearly 8 cm. The polar cod, Boreogadus saida (Lepechin), was the most important food item for the investigated juvenile Greenland halibut.