Introduction to the redfish (Sebastes spp.) complex in ICES subareas 5, 6, 12, and 14 (Iceland and Faroes grounds, north of Azores, and east of Greenland)

Species of the genus Sebastes are common and widely distributed in the North Atlantic. They are found off the coast of Great Britain, along Norway and Spitzbergen, in the Barents Sea, off the Faroe Islands, Iceland, East and West Greenland, and along the east coast of North America from Baffin Island to Cape Cod.

Three species of redfish are commercially exploited in ICES subareas 5, 6, 12, and 14: Sebastes norvegicus (formerly S. marinus), S. mentella, and S. viviparus. The latter has minor commercial value in Icelandic waters and is exploited in two small areas south of Iceland at depths of 150–250 m (Table 2.3.9.1).