370 



William C. Schroeder 



No hauls were made in 100-200 fathoms in area A, but it appears certain that red- 

 fish occur there along the upper slope, perhaps in somewhat the same abundance as 

 they are at present found on the slope of the Grand Banks. But it is not likely that 

 any large bodies of fish are to be found deeper than about 370 fathoms in area A 

 (Long. 63° 17' to Long. 65° 59' W), for only 11 were caught in 27 hauls made there in 

 400-700 fathoms, the deepest catch being at about 425. 



While our best catches of redfish were taken within the narrow temperature range of 

 39°_40-5° F, they are known to occur in more or less abundance between about 36° 

 and 48°, with the 38°-42° temperature zone probably the most favourable for it.* 

 But factors other than tem_perature influence the presence and abundance of redfish, 

 of which type of bottom and an adequate supply of preferred food (chiefly euphausiids, 

 shrimps, small mollusks and various other invertebrates) must play an important 

 part, as only a scattering few were taken by us in the many hauls made along the 

 slope to the westward of Long. 66° in temperatures of 38°-42°.t 



The black-beUied rosefish (Helicolenus dactylopterus), a close relative of the red- 

 fish, was taken in small numbers in areas B, C, D, between 70 and 300 fathoms, the 

 best catches being in 150-200 fathoms with averages per haul as foUows: area B, 

 66 fish in 3 hauls; area C, 160 fish in 8 hauls, and area D, 87 fish in 2 hauls. The 

 usual size was 6-8 inches in length, the extreme range 3-13 inches. 



MISCELLANEOUS SPECIES 

 Of the remaining species listed in Table II, and not otherwise mentioned, there 

 follows the depth ranges of those which were captured beyond 200 fathoms in this 

 survey, the deepest haul made being in 730 fathoms. 



Table VI 

 Depth range offish not otherwise mentioned 



* For a more detailed account see Bigelow and Schroeder 1953, p. 432. 



t See Steele and Martin (1955), who trawled large redfish in the Gaspe region in 39-4''-40-9°, 

 and who point out that the presence and abundance of the euphausiid Meganyctiphanes norvegica 

 appeared to be an important factor determining the distribution and movements of redfish. 



