PACIFIC COD FISHERIES 393 



of 30 or 40 pounds, with the flesh a livid blue or green in color. In 

 cooking, the flesh of this fish turns white. It is found from Sitka 

 to Santa Barbara, and is especially important as a food fish in 

 British Columbia and the State of Washington. 



Sablefish, black cod, coalfish, beshow, or skill {Anoplopoma fim- 

 bria) is found from the Aleutian Islands to Monterey. It is most 

 abundant in the regions frequented by halibut, from southeast 

 Alaska to the Washington coast. It attains a length of 18 to 20 

 inches and a weight of 5 pounds. Many are marketed in a fresh, 

 frozen, or salted condition, and the fish is growing steadily in popu- 

 larity. Usually it is taken in deep water, from 70 to 90 fathoms, 

 though often it is found at depths of 200 to 250 fathoms. About 

 1916 I recommended that the name " sablefish " be used for this fish, 

 and it has been so called since then. 



Several species of Sebastodes (notably S. rubemirms, >S. pinniger, 

 and S. mystinus) , known as red rock cod, are found from San Diego 

 to Alaska. They are excellent food fishes and are in considerable 

 demand. 



BANKS FREQUENTED BY COD 



The codfishing banks are of two kinds — the inshore banks, which 

 lie close in to shore, or in the bays, straits, and sounds between the 

 numerous islands and the mainland and between the islands them- 

 selves; and the outer banks, which lie at varying distances off the 

 mainland or the various groups of islands. Together they form by 

 far the largest group of cod banks in the world. 



Outside of the surveys made by the United States Bureau of Fish- 

 eries' steamer Albatross, very little has been done to fix with cer- 

 tainty the boundaries of the various banks and much remains to 

 be accomplished in this line. The Albatross survey has been supple- 

 mented by data obtained from fishermen that frequent these banks 

 and from personal observation over a period comprising several 

 fishing seasons. 



According to the investigations of the Albatross, the following 

 represent, roughly, the areas of the offshore banks upon which she 

 worked, although in several instances the work was suspended before 

 the end of the bank was reached : 



Sq. miles 



Slime Bank 1, 445 



Baird Bank 9, 200 



Between Ugomak Island and Kiliuluk Bay, in the Pacific Ocean 2, 000 



Davidson Bank 1, 600 



Sannak Bank 1, 300 



Between Sannak and Shumagin Banks 1. 800 



Shumagin Bank 1, 800 



Albatross Bank 3, 700 



Portlock Bank 2" G. 800 



Total 29,645 



No attempt was made by the Albatross to seek for cod banks along 

 the Aleutian Chain west of Akutan Pass, where cod are said to be 

 numerous. Also no attempt was made to find banks in Bering Sea 

 north of Cape Newenham, although cod have been found as far 

 north as St. Lawrence Island. 



