368 William C. Schroeder 



trawled on the seaward slope of Georges Bank, Lat. 40° 18' N, Long. 68° 01' W at 

 230-250 fathoms, July 15, 1952 and three others at 240-280 fathoms on the slope of 

 Browns Bank between Lat. 42° 09' N Long. 65° 21' W and Lat. 42° 08' N, Long. 

 65° 27' W, July 16 1953. They ranged in standard length from 349 to 416 mm. 



The offshore hake, Merluccius albidus, was next in importance, but none at all 

 was taken in area A. In the other areas a scattering few were caught as shoal as 

 55-100 fathoms and deeper than 400 fathoms, but the best yields were as follows: 

 area B, an average of 80 to 108 per 5 hauls between 200-350 fathoms; area C, 126 

 to 400 per 3 hauls between 150-350 fathoms; area D, 140-164 hake per 14 hauls in 

 100-300 fathoms. The majority of these hake ranged from 1 to 3 pounds, some as 

 large as 4-4| pounds. 



The silver hake, M. bilinearis, an important shoal water commercial species, was 

 not found to be an important factor off shore. The best catches were in area B, 

 where in 100-300 fathoms an average of 70 to 125 fish was taken in 6 hauls. 



GRENADIERS OR MACROURIDS 



More pounds of Coryphaenoides rupestris were taken than of any other macrourid, 

 chiefly because of its relatively large size (most of those taken ranged from 1 to 6 

 pounds) and its abundance within area A where, between 300-550 fathoms, the 

 averages for 36 hauls ranged from 220 to 535 fish of this species. The shoalest capture 

 was in the 200-250 fathom zone, and the deepest around 700 fathoms. To the west- 

 ward, within areas B, C, and D, relatively few were taken, and these deeper than 350 

 fathoms, the best catch being an average of 70 fish in 2 hauls made in area D in 450- 

 500 fathoms. 



The common grenadier or rat-tail, Macrourus bairdii, was found to be very wide- 

 spread in all depths from 150 fathoms to 730 (our deepest haul) throughout areas 

 A to D. The better catches (between 300-700 fathoms) ran from about 75 to 150 

 fish per haul. But as this species averages only ^—j pound in weight, the poundage 

 taken per haul was insignificant. 



THE FLOUNDER TRIBE 



The gray sole (Glvptocephalus cynoglossus) is the only flounder that was found to 

 be widespread deeper than 200 fathoms. In fact, it was caught in a greater number 

 of hauls than any other species of fish listed in Table II. On the other hand, although 

 it was widespread, no large concentrations were found, and the general range in 

 size was relatively small, only about ^ to 1 pound, with but few reaching 2 pounds or 

 more. This flounder was taken just about everywhere between 120 and 730 fathoms 

 from areas A to D. Excluding the smallest catches, the results were: Area A, 200- 

 550 fathoms, 23 to 96 fish per haul; area B, 250-600 fathoms, 17 to 45 fish per haul; 

 area C, 150-730 fathoms, 18 to 120 fish per haul; area D, 150-730 fathoms, 12 to 

 114 fish per haul. The greatest number taken in a single haul was 218, area A, 350- 

 400 fathoms. 



It is of interest to note that the gray sole is one of the important food fishes in the 

 northern Atlantic where, off our coast, the best catches are made between about 60 

 and 150 fathoms. 



Only 1 haUbut was caught during our exploratory fishing, this a 75 lb. fish taken 

 in 340-360 fathoms in Lat. 42° 41' N, Long. 63° 58' W. The paucity of halibut along 

 the slope is referred to on p. 363. 



