364 



William C. Schroeder 



{Stenotomus versicolor) and the sea robin {Prionotus caroUnus), all of which I have 

 seen taken in large numbers by commercial fishermen in mid-winter off southern 

 New England, within the 50-100 fathom zone. On the other hand it is difficult to 

 explain our capture of only one tilefish (Lopholatilus) for, while the population 

 appears to be more scattered during the summer, it is a year around resident in about 

 60-150 fathoms, most abundantly between the offings of Nantucket and Delaware 

 Bay where draggers, from late fall to spring, often take 10-20,000 pounds per trip. 

 Certainly there is evidence here that some species may easily evade the small trawls 

 such as were used in our exploratory fishing. 



SABLE 



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 BANK 



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Fig. 1 . Distribution of bottom otter-trawling stations along the shelf and slope made during June- 

 July 1952 and 1953 by Capn Bill II. 



In this connection it is of interest to note the difference in yield between our 50 

 foot and the 60 foot trawls in such cases where they could be reasonably compared 

 for the same depth zone and area. Thus in 53 hauls of the 50 foot trawl, 16,618 fish 

 of all sorts estimated to weigh about 9,500 pounds were caught, or an average of 

 •314 fish and about 180 pounds per haul, while the catch in 33 hauls of the 60 foot 

 trawl was 12,316 fish estimated to weigh about 11,500 pounds, or an average of 373 

 fish and about 350 pounds per haul. The larger trawl not only caught more fish by 

 •number (as might be expected) but also fish that averaged larger in size . Much the 

 same result was obtained in the catch of crabs {Geryon), for in 31 hauls of the 50 

 foot trawl the average catch per haul was 32 crabs weighing about 40 pounds, while 



