Prey preference of Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) in Glacier Bay National Park

Stomach contents were collected from sport-caught halibut in Glacier Bay National Park. Stomach samples containing a combination of fish and invertebrate species were observed less frequently than expected. Small, subtidal, noncommercial crab and cod-like fish (Gadidae) appear to be the most important prey items. In thc dict of Pacific halibut. Preliminary findings suggested that dict changes dramatically with age. The frequency of occurrence of crustaceans and small forage fishes declines with an increase in age while the frequency of occurrence of cod-like fish (Gadidae) and sculpins (Cottidae) increases with an increase in age. In addition, there were few halibut that contained prey items from different taxa whereas multiple items from a single taxa or prey group were common.