FISH FROM DEEP WATER OFF NEW YORK 



By John T. Nichols 



THE "steam trawl" introduces a method of capture for salt water 

 fishes which, though much in vogue in Europe, is only just gaining 

 a foothold on our Atlantic coast. By the new method, small 

 powerful steamers drag huge nets over the bottom in deep water, sometimes 

 catching several thousand pounds of fish in one net. Six of these trawlers 

 are now operating out of Boston but none came regularly to the New York 

 market previous to November of the past year. Fortunately the Museum's 

 department of fishes was at that time invited by the Heroine Company to 

 send a representative on the first New York trip of such a trawler. 



The primary object was to locate near the New York City market good 

 fishing grounds for cod, haddock or other valuable bottom fishes. Although 

 in this, the initial experiment was a failure, the exceptional opportunity to 

 investigate deep waters brought to light interesting forms — ■ and especially 

 was material of value secured for the Museum. For example many smooth 

 scallops (Pecten magellanicus) were brought to the surface fifty miles south- 

 east of New York in 

 twenty to thirty fath- 

 oms of water, and be- 

 tween the valves of 

 some of them a single 

 small hake was found, 

 as has sometimes been 

 previously reported by 

 naturalists. It would 

 be interesting to know 

 if this fish customarily 

 takes refuge within the 

 shell of the mollusk. 



Further southward 

 and eastward in sixty to 

 eighty-five fathoms on 

 the edge of the conti- 

 nental shelf, many deep 

 water fish were taken. 

 The tile-fish was there in 

 small numbers; bright 

 red, deep-water gur- 



. . After the net has been dragging over the sea bottom, the 



nards {Peristedion) were ends, equipped with heavy wood and iron 'doors," are 



common One of the drawn up by machinery, one to either end of the boat, and 



the laborious task commences of getting the center of the 

 latter mounted and net containing the flsh aboard the steamer 



43 



