In this Episode of Deep Sea BC, Captain Quinn searches for giant man eating lingcod, rock fish, yellow eye and the rare and discovers a rare and endangered glass sponge reef. Fishing has always intrigued me as not only a means to food but also a means to explore the natural world and connect with a place that is beyond my evolutionary reach. You drop a line into a world beneath the water and if you’re lucky you pull something up. I’ve seen some pretty large lingcod over the years but I’ve heard rumours of lingcod reaching monstrous proportions. These giants have been documented at over 1000 feet below the sea and have been caught weighing over 80 lbs. Because of their anatomical design and highly aggressive feeding behavior they are capable of swallowing prey up to 80 percent of their size. They like to hide in rocky areas with significant current where they can ambush passing prey, it is in these areas that some of the largest Lingcod are rumoured to live. Female lingcod begin to mature at 3 to 5 years of age at an average length of 24 to 30 inches. Males begin to mature at age 2 at a length of 20 inches. The number of eggs per mature female increases with both size and age. Along the Alaska coast, lingcod begin spawning in early December, with peak spawning occurring from mid-January to mid-March. After the eggs are deposited and fertilized in nests in crevices along the reefs, the female lingcod disperse to other areas and leave the male lingcod to guard the egg nests until the eggs hatch which takes from 5 to 11 weeks. Thus, while most egg masses hatch between mid-March and mid-May, some hatching occurs into June. Egg nests, if left unguarded, are generally decimated within 48 hours by rockfish, starfish, sculpins, kelp greenling, and cod. The presence of a male to guard the nest from these predators appears essential for successful spawning. Unfortunately, nest-guarding males are extremely aggressive and vulnerable to predation by seals, sea lions, and anglers. Removal of a male during the nest-guarding period not only results in removal of the fish from the adult spawning population but also results in the likely loss of that male’s nest, thereby affecting future recruitment. Larval and juvenile lingcod are preyed upon by fishes such as salmon, rockfish, and other lingcod. Glass sponge reefs are one of several species of deep-water coral that exists in the Strait of Georgia. In addition to glass sponge reefs, red tree coral can also be found. These coral reefs can absorb more carbon out of the atmosphere as old growth forests and provide habitat for a variety of marine animals. They also clean, circulate and oxygenate the water. Captain Quinn is here to bring you Fishing Comedy & The Great Outdoors! Subscribe for more: https://bit.ly/2RE3o2o Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecaptainq...
DEEP SEA BC S1 EP3
