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WALLER: BPAUNA:.OF .THE BAY OF BENGAL 
MADE ON THE BENGAL FISHERIES 
STEAM-TRAWLER “GOLDEN 
CROWN,” 1908-1909. 
By J. T. Jenkins, D.Sc. (Wales), Superintendent, Lancashire 
and Western Sea Fisheries. 
(Plate iv.) 
The investigations carried on by the trawler ‘‘ Golden Crown ’’ 
during 1908 and 1909 have thrown some light on the fauna of the 
upper portions of the Bay of Bengal between the 15- and 30- 
fathom lines. A few hauls were made in greater and lesser depths, 
but trawling was mainly carried on within the limits mentioned. 
The trawl of the ‘‘ Golden Crown’’ was of the ordinary commer- 
cial type and well calculated to capture any fish or invertebrate 
living on the bottom or swimming about within seven or eight 
feet thereof. Occasionally portions ofa shoal of pelagic (7.e., non- 
demersal) fish would be enmeshed when the trawl was being 
hauled inboard. To this category belong the pomfrets (Stroma- 
teus cinereus, niger and sinensis), large hauls of which were made 
off the Eastern Channel at the entrance to the River Hughli, 
and the flying gurnard Dacitylopterus orientalis. ‘The only pelagic 
fish taken in anything like large quantities was the Silver Pomfret 
(Stromateus cinereus). ‘This species was most abundant in the 
months from December to April and was met with anywhere 
between the Mutlah light ship (off the entrance to the Mutlah 
River) and Puri on the coast of Orissa. It is not infrequently 
taken in the nets of the local fishermen at the latter place. So 
far as the ‘‘ Golden Crown’’ records show, the pomfret is most 
abundant in the northern parts of the Bay during the months of 
January and February, at this time the writer occasionally 
observed vast shoals of them swimming leisurely past the ‘‘ Golden 
Crown’’ whilst she was going ahead slow with her trawl down. 
The best catch was made during the voyage which lasted from the 
oth to the 15th February, 1909, throughout which period trawling 
was prosecuted to the south of the Eastern Channel light vessel, 
the pilot ship of the Bengal Pilot Service being within sight the 
whole of the time. ; 
A curious feature was that the pomfrets were only caught 
by daylight. It was customary on the ‘‘ Golden Crown” to make 
four hauls per diem. The net was shot at 6 a.m., midday, 6 
p-m. and midnight and hauled half an hour before those times, 
so that two hauls were made during darkness (6 p.m. to midnight 
