Possessing some fearsome vampire-like fangs and given a dinosaur-worthy scientific name translating to “scaleless lizard,” the deep-sea dwelling lancetfish (Alepisaurus ferox) has been washing ashore on West Coast beaches this spring.
Scientists say they aren’t certain why these fish have been found in places such as Lincoln City, Ore., but the species isn’t exactly a stranger to this portion of the Pacific Ocean.
Typically found in tropical waters, the lancetfish does make migrations as far north as Alaska’s Bering Sea to feed, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).
From 1982-2021, NOAA groundfish surveys found two in the Gulf of Alaska, four near the Aleutian Islands and 10 in the Eastern Bering Sea.
It’s not unheard of to find them washing up on our beaches. Sekiu, particularly, has been a good location to run into them over the years, but in the depths of the Pacific?
That’s where Mukileto’s Alex Malysheff caught and released a lancetfish while fishing off Neah Bay for halibut May 4, the height of the lancetfish sightings in Oregon.
The fish can grow to more than 7 feet in length, one of the biggest to roam the ocean floor, and are notorious for cannabalism, although many entirely new species descriptions of fish, squids and octopuses have come from lancetfish stomach surveys.
A specific listing for lancetfish wasn’t found in a search of the 2022-23 state fishing rules pamphlet, so I’d err on the side of caution and categorize them as “all other fish” and closed to retention.
They don’t qualify as a food fish as lancetfish flesh is watery, gelatinous and generally not appetizing to humans. But large predators like sharks, tuna and fur seals will feed on them.
My hypothesis is the large number of winter storms that impacted northern California impacted the ocean currents, stirring up the depths and sending these lancetfish east to ocean beaches — but I’m no expert.
Scientists from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego told the New York Times that they think the lancetfish may have strayed too close to shore while feeding and became stuck — their gelatinous bodies not possessing the same muscular construction as, say, a steelhead.
But NOAA says lancetfish are believed to be mostly ambush predators that will feed in large quantity at one time while digesting their prey as needed over a period of time.
This just goes to show how little is definitively known about the briny depths.
Fisherman’s Garage Sale
The North Olympic Peninsula chapter of Puget Sound Anglers will host the first Fisherman’s Garage Sale on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Sequim Elks Lodge, 143 Port Williams Road.
Gently and successfully used fishing gear and other marine equipment will be available for purchase.
Proceeds from the sale will be used to fund the chapter’s annual Kids Fishing Day, scholarships offered to Sequim and Port Angeles High School students and a student at Peninsula College along with other chapter projects.
Crab pot removal
Removal of derelict crabs will begin Saturday and continue through June 15 in Sequim Bay, Discovery Bay and South Dungeness Bay.
The recovery vessel is expected to tie up the outside ramp at John Wayne Marina around 4 p.m. each day, even on halibut and shrimping dates.
Shrimping next week
In all areas of Puget Sound, the daily limit per fisher is 80 spot shrimp with a total daily weight limit of 10 pounds (whole shrimp) for all species of shrimp combined. Shrimpers who retain only spot shrimp may remove and discard the heads while in the field and before returning to shore. Shrimpers retaining any shrimp species other than spot shrimp must continue to retain the heads until finished and on shore to verify compliance with the 10-pound daily limit.
A valid 2023-24 combination license, shellfish license, Fish Washington license or Get Outdoors license is required to participate in the fishery.
Traps can be set one hour before official sunrise during any open period in the marine areas without specified harvest hours. These include marine areas 4, 5, 6 (except for the Discovery Bay Shrimp District).
The pots must be removed from the water in these same areas by one hour after sunset at the end of an open period.
• Marine Area 4 east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh Line: Open daily beginning Thursday, daylight hours. The recreational spot shrimp season closes when the quota is met.
• Marine Area 5 (western Strait of Juan de Fuca): Open daily beginning Thursday during daylight hours. The recreational spot shrimp season closes when the quota is met.
• Marine Area 6 (Port Angeles Harbor, eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca, excluding the Discovery Bay Shrimp District): Open May 25-28, June 8-10, June 22-24, July 7-10 and July 21-23. Daylight hours.
• Marine Area 6 (Discovery Bay Shrimp District): Open on May 26 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. only.
• Marine Area 9 (Edmonds, Port Townsend Bay, Admiralty Inlet): Open Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. only.
• Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal Shrimp District): Open on May 26, June 9, June 11, June 24, and June 28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. only.
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at [email protected].