COMMERCIAL SPECIES AND FISHING GROUNaS 



There appeal- to be only two species of shrimp, "langostinos," 

 ( Penaeu s stylirostris and P. occidenta3-is ) taken for export in Ecuador; 

 a third species (P. vannaiaei ) probably is taken, but apparently is not 

 very abundant. The two or three species are not distinguished by 

 either the fishermen or the dealers. They are known locally as blue 

 or blue-pink shritnp but will be referred to here as white shrimp. P. 

 stylirostris and P. occidental is appeared to be about equally distributed 

 in the catches landed at Guayaquil in late October and early November 

 1955. The shriinp are large, averaging headless about 20 percent under 

 10 to the pound, 60 percent 10 to 1$ to the pound, and 20 percent 16 to 

 20 to the pound. 



Shrimp smaller than 20 to the pound (headless measiire) are 

 rarely taken by the trawlers. 



In addition, the boats catch some species of smaller size 

 which are sold locally either whole on ice or peeled and frozen. These 

 smaller species are called "camarones". They include tv;o species of 

 shrimp called "zebra" because of the blue-black stripes on the abdomen 

 (Trachypeneus byrdi and T. faoe ), one species of the sea bob ( Xiphoneneus 

 riveti) >Aiich is broimisE and ca].led "titi" by the fishermen, and another 

 species ( Protrachypene precipua) which is golden-pink in color and is 

 knovm locally as "pomada." 



These species range from about 35 to more than 100 to the 

 poimd, he ads -off. 



Pink shrimp (probably Penaeus brevirostris ) have been reported 

 from the Gulf of Guayaquil near Isla de Muertos in 58 fathoms. A 10- 

 minute haul with about 10-foot try-net brought up about 35 pounds of 

 shrimp that ran 16 to 20 to the pound, heads-off . 



There are two fishing areas — one in the Gulf of Guayaquil 

 from Chanduy to the Peruvian border and the other on the northern 

 coast from about Esmeraldas to the Colombian border. There are several 

 other spots along the coast where shrimp appear, but because of the 

 limited area and rocky bottom they are nob fished at present. Probably 

 the most important of these are the Cojimies estuaries and the Bay of 

 Caraquez. 



The boats rarely fish in depths greater than 15 fathoms. 

 Most of the fishing for white shrimp is between h and 10 fathoms. The 

 titi and pomada are taken in shallow waters near shore. 



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