REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 7 



as compared with previous canvasses. The aggregate catch in that 

 year was 43,942,105 pounds with a value of $758,620, an increase 

 of 136.7 per cent in quantity and 72.9 per cent in value over the last 

 canvass, that of the Bureau of the Census for 1908. Louisiana still re- 

 mains the center of the industry, over 41 per cent of the entire catch, 

 or 18,160,586 pounds, being accredited to it; Florida is second with 

 11,549,175 pounds; Mississippi third with 8,899,350 poimds; and 

 Georgia fourth with 4,261,480 pounds. The remaining States of 

 North Carolina, Texas, South Carolina, and Alabama ranking in the 

 order named, produced less than 2.5 per cent of the entire catch. 



The number of persons engaged in the industry was 9,235, of whom 

 3,645 were fishermen, 89 on transporting vessels, and 5,501 in the 

 shore industries. The investment in boats, fishing apparatus, shore 

 and accessory property, and cash capital aggi-egated $2,484,625, and 

 the wages paid in the canning and drying industries amounted to 

 $246,775. The cost of cans, paper linings, labels, and cases for 

 canned shrimp was $331,162. The wholesale trade in raw, dry- 

 cooked, and pickled shrimp totaled 5,780,090 pounds, valued at 

 $430,123. 



Three marine species of shrimp are taken for commercial purposes. 

 Of these the most important and abundant form is Penseus sehferus, 

 which occurs throughout the range of the fishery from Beaufort, 

 N. C, to Corpus Christi, Tex. The closely related species P. hrasili- 

 ensis is much less abundant and may be distinguished from the other 

 by the character of the groove along each side of the rostrum which 

 extends nearly to the posterior margin of the carapace, while in 

 P. setiferus this groove extends less than halfway back. As the fish- 

 ermen do not recognize these differences, an estimate of the relative 

 importance of P. hrasiliensis is difficult. The third species, XipJio- 

 peneus Icroyeri, commonly known to the fishermen as "sea-bobs" or 

 "seven-beards," is considerably smaller, differs in color and general 

 appearance, and has a rostrum as long as or longer than the carapace 

 instead of shorter, as in the species of Penseus. It is taken commer- 

 cially only on the Louisiana coast, where it is used solely for drying 

 when the larger species are unobtainable. 



On the Atlantic coast the bulk of the shrimp are taken with otter 

 trawls and on the Gulf coast with haul seines, except in Texas where 

 cast nets are used almost exclusively. At Apalachicola, Fla., and 

 Biloxi, Miss., the otter trawl has recently been introduced and is 

 expected to play an increasingly important part in the shrimp fishery 

 of the Gulf coast. In the trawl fishery, motor boats with crews of 

 one to three men are employed. In the Mississippi haul-seine fishery, 

 sail schooners about 40 feet in length serve to carry the fishermen to 

 the fishing grounds, 25 to 80 miles distant, and the catch to the 

 factory. In operating the seine a motor boat and a rowboat are used. 

 The seines range from 175 to 250 fathoms in length and 11 to 18 feet 

 in depth and are operated by crews of 6 men. In Louisiana, the 

 fishermen establish camps near the fishing grounds, the latter being 

 visited in open motor boats. The haul seines employed in this State 

 average about 300 fathoms in length. Gasohne luggers make fre- 

 quent trips to the fishing grounds to transport the catch to the can- 

 ning factories, most of which are located in New Orleans. 



The irregularity of the movements of the shrimps makes it difficult 

 to define the seasons of abundance in the various waters. In general, 



