Importance of fish species in the bottom and near-bottoml biotopes of the Far-Eastern Seas and Pacific waters of Russia

Importance of fish species in the benthal ichthyocoenoses (up to depths 2000 m) is discussed for Russian waters Far-Eastern Seas and adjacent North-West Pacific on data bottom trawl surveys conducted by Fish. Res. Inst. (TINRO) 1977–2010. The inverse Simpson index (or polydominance index) was chosen as a measure dominance; Sorensen-Chekanovsky similarity used comparative analysis dominance structure ichthyocoenoses. importance determined top 20 ranked biomass (94.9 % total all demersal shelf 95.8 — at continental slope, average). Poor evenness under strong domination 2–4 noted communities within range 0–2000 m. Walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma dominate regions whereas subdominants are pacific herring Clupea pallasii , cod Gadus macrocephalus atka mackerel Pleurogrammus monopterygius or okhotsk P. azonus depending region. interrupted slope Bering Sea, where giant grenadier Albatrossia pectoralis dominate. greenland halibut Reinhardtius hippoglossoides matsuurae popeye Coryphaenoides cinereus herring, sleeper shark Somniosus pacificus scale-eye plaice Acanthopsetta nadeshnyi blackfin flounder Glyptocephalus stelleri . Generalized graphs between studied (Okhotsk Japan Kamchatka Kuril Islands) composition dominant presented, separately slope.