Reports of exploratory ottci -trawling between Nova Scotia and Virginia 361 



In most cases the trawl fished bottom without apparent mishap, but there were 

 occasions when a haul obviously was not successful lor one reason or another, as is 

 to be expected when fishing an unexplored area and in depths where technical dilli- 

 culties are multipHed. Catch statistics of unsuccessful boUom hauls were segregated 

 from those hauls considered representative. 



The causes for the 66 unsuccessful or otherwise unrepresentative hauls were: 

 trawl did not fish bottom at all or for only a small part of the haul (22); net tore so 

 that all or part of the catch was lost (13); drawstring opened before catch was landed 

 (1); net lost (9); gear twisted (13); aluminium floats alMmploded ( 1 ); fathometer 

 not operating (2); trawling wire snapped (2); cause unknown (3). Catch record^ 

 of these hauls are not included in this report. 



RESULTS 



A total of 75 species of fishes that might be classed as dwelling part or all of the 

 time on bottom, or close to it, were caught in the two years combined, of which 7 

 species were taken in 1952 only and 13 in 1953 only. These figures are subject to slight 

 revision after a number of final indentifications have been established. In addition, 

 some 30-40 species of bathypelagic fishes were captiired while the trawl was being 

 payed out and/or hauled in and when an off-bottom haul was made. These species 

 have not yet been critically studied. Accounts of the sharks, skates and chimaeras 

 taken deeper than 200 fathoms have already been published (Bigelow, Schrof.dkr and 

 Springer, 1953; Bigelow and Schroeder, 1954) as well as a paper dealing with two 

 fishes of especial interest, the offshore hake Merluccius alhidus and the blue whilirig 

 Gadus {Micromesistius) poutassou (Bigelow and Schroeder, 1955). Also, certain 

 data concerning various fishes taken on these Atlantic slope cruises are included in 

 recently published Fishes of the Gulf of Maine (Bigelow and Schroeder, 1953). 



Much the greater number of the bottom-dwelling species that were taken deeper 

 than 200 fathoms are at present of little commercial importance, either because of 

 their relative scarcity in deep water or because they have not yet been accepted as 

 food fishes. In fact, only the redfish {Sebastes marinus) was found in numbers suffi- 

 cient to give some promise of supporting a profitable fishery. Others taken that might 

 prove of some value to the fisheries include the gray sole (Glyptocephalis cyno^ilossus), 

 the long-finned hake {Urophycis chesteri) and the whitings {Merhtccius hilincaris and 

 M. albidus). 



New and proHfic lobster grounds were discovered and considerable information 

 was obtained on the distribution and abundance of the deep water red crab {Gcryon 

 quinquidens), a species that may prove to form the basis of a new crab fishery. 



As the area fished, although only about 5 to 20 miles wide, extended some 6(X1 nnles 

 from the offing of Nova Scotia to that of Cape Charles. Virginia, it is expedient 

 that it be divided into sectors, as follows: area A— Long. 63 17' to 65 59 \N , from 

 the offing of southeastern Nova Scotia to the eastern slope of Georges Bank; area 

 B— Long. 66 00' to 69 59' W, from the eastern slope of Georges Bank to the oiling 

 of Nantucket; area C— Long. 70" 00' to 71" 59' W, from the offing of Nantucket to 

 Hudson Canyon; and area D— Long. 72' 00' to 74 15' from Hudson Canyon to 

 the offing of Cape Charles, Virginia. The most northerly latitude fished was 42 4S;, 

 and the most southerly, 37° 38' (see Fig. 1). 



