Results on silver smelt (Argentina silus and A. sphyraena), bluemouth (Helicolenus dactylopterus), greater forkbeard (Phycis blennoides), roughsnout grenadier (Trachyrincus scabrus), Spanish ling and ling (Molva macrophthalma and Molva molva) from the 2021 Porcupine Bank Survey (NE Atlantic)

This working document presents the results of the most significant deep fish species caught in 2021 on the Porcupine Spanish Groundfish Survey (SP-PORC-Q3). Biomass, abundance, geographical distribution and length ranges were analysed for silver smelt (Argentina silus and A. sphyraena), bluemouth (Helicolenus dactylopterus), greater fork-beard (Phycis blennoides), roughsnout grenadier (Trachyrincus scabrus), Spanish ling and ling (Molva macrophthalma and Molva molva) and other scarce deep sea species. Both the biomass and abundance of A. sillus fell sharply in this last survey whereas A. sphyraena and T. scabrus decreased slightly. However P. blennoides and especially H. dactylopterus have increased. The species M. molva and M. macrophtalma have remained quite similar values to the previous year. Signs of recruitment have been found for P. blennoides, M. macrophtalma and H. dactylopterus