CONTENTS 



Introduction 



Descriptions of area and gear 



Methods 



Collection of data 



Collection of samples , 



Measurements of samples 



Statistics of the bait shrimp fishery , 



Biological characteristics of bait shrimp 



Sex ratio and size differences , 



Maturity 



Length and weight 



Decline of the bait shrimp fishery 



Effect of estuarine engineering on shrimping and fishing , 

 Literature cited 



Page 



1 

 1 

 3 

 3 

 3 

 3 

 4 

 5 

 5 

 7 

 7 



15 



FIGURES 



No. 



1. 

 2. 

 3. 



5, 

 6. 



Bait shrimping areas in Tampa Bay 



Length measurements of a typical penaeid shrimp (modified from Voss, 1955). 

 Length frequency of 9,145 bait shrimp from Old Tampa Bay and lower Tampa 



Bay 



Length frequency of 9,145 bait shrimp from Old Tampa Bay and lower Tampa 



Bay 



Total weight of 9,212 bait shrimp from Old Tampa Bay and lower Tampa Bay.. 

 Land mass created by dredging and filling through 1963 and some contem- 

 plated filling in Boca Ciega Bay 



2 



3 



11 



12 

 13 



14 



TABLES 



No. 

 1. 

 2. 

 3. 



6. 



Weekly wholesale and retail value and poundage of bait shrimp caught in lower 



Tampa Bay, October 4, 1961, through April 8, 1962 4 



Weekly retail and wholesale value and poundage of bait shrimp caught in Old 



Tampa Bay, December 4, 1961, through April 8, 1962 5 



Weekly fishing effort for bait shrimpers in lower Tampa Bay, October 4, 1961, 



through April 8, 1962 6 



Weekly fishing effort for bait shrimpers in Old Tampa Bay, December 4, 1961, 



through April 8, 1962 7 



Number of bait shrimp and percentage of males in samples purchased weekly 



for biological analysis in lower Tampa Bay and Old Tampa Bay 8 



Carapace length, total length, and total weight of bait shrimp ( Penaeus 

 duorarxim ) from lower Tampa Bay, by sex, October 8, 1961, through April 8, 



1962 9 



Carapace length, total length, and total weight of bait shrinnp (Penaeus 

 duo ra rum ) from Old Tampa Bay, by sex, December 10, 1961, through April 8, 

 1962 10 



