Butterfish (Peprilus triacanthus)

Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for Butterfish:

• Eggs: Offshore, EFH is the pelagic waters found over the Continental Shelf (from the coast out to the limits of the EEZ), from the Gulf of Maine through Cape Hatteras, North Carolina in areas that comprise the highest 75% of the catch where butterfish eggs were collected in MARMAP ichthyoplankton surveys. Inshore, EFH is the "mixing" and/or "seawater" portions of all the estuaries where butterfish eggs are "common," "abundant," or "highly abundant" on the Atlantic coast, from Passamaquoddy Bay, Maine to James River, Virginia. Generally, butterfish eggs are collected from shore to 6000 ft and temperatures between 52 ^oF and 63 ^oF.
  
  
• Larvae: Offshore, EFH is the pelagic waters found over the Continental Shelf (from the coast out to the limits of the EEZ), from the Gulf of Maine through Cape Hatteras, North Carolina areas that comprise the highest 75% of the catch where butterfish larvae were collected in the NEFSC trawl surveys. Inshore, EFH is the "mixing" and/or "seawater" portions of all the estuaries where butterfish larvae are "common," "abundant," or "highly abundant" on the Atlantic coast, from Passamaquoddy Bay, Maine to James River, Virginia. Generally, butterfish larvae are collected in depths between 33 ft and 6000 ft and temperatures between 48 ^oF and 66 ^oF.
  
  
• Juveniles: Offshore, EFH is the pelagic waters found over the Continental Shelf (from the coast out to the limits of the EEZ), from the Gulf of Maine through Cape Hatteras, North Carolina in areas that comprise the highest 75% of the catch where juvenile butterfish were collected in the NEFSC trawl surveys. Inshore, EFH is the "mixing" and/or "seawater" portions of all the estuaries where juvenile butterfish are "common," "abundant," or "highly abundant" on the Atlantic coast, from Passamaquoddy Bay, Maine to James River, Virginia. Generally, juvenile butterfish are collected in depths between 33 ft and 1200 ft and temperatures between 37 ^oF and 82 ^oF.
  
  
• Adults: Offshore, EFH is the pelagic waters found over the Continental Shelf (from the coast out to the limits of the EEZ), from the Gulf of Maine through Cape Hatteras, North Carolina in areas that comprise the highest 75% of the catch where adult butterfish were collected in the NEFSC trawl surveys. Inshore, EFH is the "mixing" and/or "seawater" portions of all the estuaries where adult butterfish are "common," "abundant," or "highly abundant" on the Atlantic coast, from Passamaquoddy Bay, Maine to James River, Virginia. Generally, adult butterfish are collected in depths between 33 ft and 1200 ft and temperatures between 37 ^oF and 82 ^oF.