Table 5. --Species composition of industrial bottomfish landings from the north-central Gulf of 



Mexico, 1959-63 



1 Includes sand and silver seatrouts. 



being the striped anchovy, bay anchovy, scaled 

 sardine or razorbelly, butterfish, inshore 

 lizardfish, and southern kingfish or ground- 

 mullet. 



Croaker, spot, seatrouts, and cutlassfish 

 were caught on each ground throughout most 

 of the year (table 6). The croaker is the major 

 species caught each month in all four fishing 

 areas. The largest catches of spot were 

 usually made nearshore and offshore east of 

 the Delta, with maximum catches in December 

 and January. Lesser amounts were caught in 

 the West Delta area. Both species of seatrout 

 prevailed in greater amounts nearshore, and 

 offshore west of the Delta. Increased quan- 

 tities entered nearshore catches from July 

 through October, and offshore catches between 

 January and April. Cutlassfish contributed to 

 catches made nearshore west of the Delta 

 during June, July, and August, and offshore 

 from May through July. East of the Delta, 

 significant amounts were present nearshore 

 between May and October, and offshore during 

 August and September. Relatively large 

 amounts of longspine porgy were present 

 offshore east of the Delta between February 

 and May. 



Annual catches of the more important species 

 are listed by fishing grounds in table 7. 

 Largest catches of croaker were made east of 

 the Delta, and varied on the nearshore grounds 

 from over 7,000 tons (1960) to almost 11,000 

 tons (1962). The absolute tonnage of croaker 

 caught offshore ranged from about 4,000 (1963) 

 to 8,000 (1960, 1961). Average croaker catches 

 exceeded by 2-1/2 times those made west of 

 the Delta. It is also evident that the marked 

 increase previously noted for this species in 

 1962 was primarily the result of a 3-l/2-fold 

 increase in the combined croaker catches 

 from the nearshore and offshore grounds west 

 of the Delta. Spot were also caught in larger 

 quantities throughout the east Delta area during 

 the 5 years, while both species of seatrout 

 contributed substantially to annual catches 

 made nearshore east and offshore west of the 

 Delta. The largest catches of cutlassfish oc- 

 curred each year in the nearshore waters 

 east of the Delta with the maximum catch 

 exceeding 2,000 tons (1961). Fishermen usually 

 avoid capturing this species because it is 

 difficult to handle and process. Larger amounts 

 of cutlassfish are often available nearshore, 

 particularly during the summer, 



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