On Monday, July 28th at 2:00 PM, Dr. Nathalie Le Francois of the Université du Québec à Rimouski, will present on wolffish at the Department of Marine Resources in West Boothbay Harbor, Maine. The topic of her presentation will be - The endangered wolffishes – the “stone-crushers”: life-history, biology, and cultivation.
Dr. Le Francois is the only person in North America who has successfully raised Atlantic and spotted wolffishes in captivity. As research professor for the University of Quebec at Rimouski, she is ready to introduce these species to the aquaculture industry and could play a key-role in future stock enhancement activities. The author of over 30 articles on the subject, she is also in the final process of publishing a book entitled“Diversification of Finfish Aquaculture.”
Considered as one of our present-day sea monsters, the wolffish’s appearance and aggressive behavior in the wild has given it a bad reputation amongst fishermen. However, those who have attempted to take their unwanted catch home for supper have been pleasantly surprised with its delicate flavor, similar to that of haddock.
Dr. Le Francois, and her graduate students Sarah Tremblay-Bourgeois and Francois Larouche, invite you to attend their seminar, free-of-charge. Come and learn about this interesting species of cold-water fish and the research being conducted by Le Francois, and company, at the tip of Québec’s Gaspe Peninsula. After the presentation, their live specimens will be available for viewing at the Maine State Aquarium.
For more information, please contact Elaine Jones, Education Director at the Department of Marine Resources (207) 633-9580.
