Bait shrimp are marketed either alive or dead, large amounts of 

 the dead shrimp ai'e frozen. 



The method of keeping live shrimp for bait is described in a 

 study of the Branch of Fishery Biology of the United States Fish and Wild- 

 life Service, (see Fishery Leaflet 337, Keeping Live Shrimp for Bait). 

 The species best adapted for this purpose, according to this publication, 

 are brown-grooved shriiap (P. aztecus) and -vrfiite shrimp (P. setiferus) . 



Handling of Live Shrimp 



Shrimp taken for bait are kept either in boxes, ponds, or 

 troughs. In Florida and in the other Gulf States, dealers in live shrimp 

 for bait hold them for indefinite periods in live boxes (pens) floating 

 in salt water. These boxes are of various sizes and frequently are covered 

 with galvanized screen coated with asphaltum paint. 



The wooden boxes used for holding the shrimp are coated inside 

 with asphaltum paint for protection from sea water. The number of shrimp 

 held in a container depends on its size. A No. 2 galvanized tub will hold 

 fifty shrimp. 



The water in the boxes must be kept at a temperatvure not over 

 60° F., the optimum temperature being 50-60°. The common practice is to 

 have either a stream of water running through the tank or a continuous 

 stream of air passing through the water. If aeration is impossible, the 

 number of shrimp is reduced by at least eighty percent. Even in well- 

 aerated salt water, the shrimp will die rapidly when the water temperature 

 rises. The box must be kept under cover or in the shade in order to main- 

 tain the temperature of the water as low as possible. 



The boxes and the water must be kept clean. Shrimp from one 

 box are removed to a second while the first is being cleaned. Waste 

 products must not be allowed to collect in the tank, since they will make 

 the water stagnant. The same is true when tanks are overcrowded. 



Shrimp will eat a variety of foods, e.g. minced clams, ground- 

 up fish, and some varieties of canned dog food. Feeding the shrimp once 

 a day is considered sufficient. 



The methods of handling bait shrimp Immediately after they are 

 hauled from the water vary in different areas; they are also influenced 

 by the type of gear used, depths fished, and the equipment employed for 

 handling the catch. 



Under any circumstance, the next operation, once the catch is 

 hauled up, is the sorting of the shrimp from the debris in the net. 



If the shrimp are to be marketed alive in the immediate vicinity 

 of the landing area, they are held in boxes, floats, or pens of varying 



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