Flatfish maturity and growth across the eastern and northern Bering Sea continental shelves from 2010 and 2017 samples

The flatfish (Pleuronectidae) biomass across the Bering Sea continental shelf is comprised of several major species. From this flatfish taxon, a few are particularly abundant, commercially important, and vital components of the Bering Sea ecosystem. A comprehensive bottom trawl survey conducted by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) in the eastern Bering Sea (EBS) and northern Bering Sea (NBS) in 2010, showed that yellowfin sole (Limanda aspera) is the most abundant in both areas, while Alaska plaice (Pleuronectes quadrituberculatus), is the second most abundant flatfish in the NBS. Yellowfin sole accounts for roughly a third of the total flatfish biomass in the EBS, while both comprise nearly two-thirds of the total fish biomass in the NBS. These data examine spatial and temporal variation of maturity and growth for yellowfin sole and Alaska plaice by expanding existing predictive models that relate body size variation to environmental covariates. Results of previous projects, from 2010 and 2017 surveys, alongside historical data records from previously collected maturity samples from Greenland turbot (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides), and Bering flounder (Hippoglossoides robustus) for initial maturity-at-age estimates. The data are presented as two tables, one each for the variables age and maturity.

白令海大陆架的鲽科（Pleuronectidae）比目鱼生物量由多个优势物种构成。该类群比目鱼中，部分物种种群丰度突出，兼具重要商业价值与白令海生态系统核心组分的地位。2010年，阿拉斯加渔业科学中心（Alaska Fisheries Science Center, AFSC）在白令海东部（Eastern Bering Sea, EBS）与白令海北部（Northern Bering Sea, NBS）开展了综合性底拖网调查，结果表明：黄鳍鲽（yellowfin sole, Limanda aspera）是两个海域中丰度最高的比目鱼物种；而阿拉斯加鲽（Alaska plaice, Pleuronectes quadrituberculatus）则是白令海北部丰度第二高的比目鱼。黄鳍鲽约占白令海东部比目鱼总生物量的三分之一；上述两种比目鱼的总生物量则占据了白令海北部鱼类总生物量的近三分之二。本数据集通过拓展已有的体型变异与环境协变量关联预测模型，分析了黄鳍鲽与阿拉斯加鲽的成熟度及生长的时空变化特征。既往项目的研究成果（源自2010年与2017年的调查），连同此前采集的格陵兰大比目鱼（Greenland turbot, Reinhardtius hippoglossoides）与白令鲽（Bering flounder, Hippoglossoides robustus）的成熟度样本历史记录，均用于初始的年龄-成熟度估算工作。本数据集以两张表格形式呈现，分别对应年龄与成熟度两类变量。