142 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



ton and Matagorda Bays, of the Texas coast, are notable places for the 

 shrimp fishery. Shrimp of marketable size average about four inches 

 in l(^n.iith. The habit of schooling among shrimp is common, especially 

 in the fall, upon the Louisiana and Texas coasts. The shrimping season 

 extends through the year, excepting the winter months. 



The California Prawn. Pandalus Dance Stimpson. 



This is a moderately large species, which finds its way into the 

 San Francisco markets from the open ocean, between the Faralloue 

 Islands and Point Eeyes, where it is very abundant. It attains a 

 length of five inches, exclusive of the feelers. Fresh specimens are 

 finely marked with transverse zigzag lines of white, separated by bands 

 of red. Tlie known range of this species is from Queen Charlotte's 

 Island, British Columbia, to Point Conception, California. It has been 

 noticed with spawn in November, December, and January, but the 

 entire length of the spawning season is unknown. This species has 

 only recently been added to the market supplies of San Francisco, from 

 the shrimp fishermen now venturing farther out to sea than formerly. 



Another and smaller species of Pandalus, of a uniform light pink color, 

 occurs associated with the above and is captured with it. Specimens 

 of a species of Pena:us, resembling Pcnwus brasiliensis of the east coast, 

 are occasionally brought to the San Francisco markets and sold as 

 prawns. They sometimes measure seven inches in length. 



The New England Deep-w^ater Prawns. Pandalus leptoceros, 



Montagui, and borealis. 



These are three closely related species of prawns, inhabiting the 

 deeper Avaters of Massachusetts Bay, the Gulf of Maine, and other 

 areas off the coasts of New England and the British Provinces. Pan- 

 dah;s horcalLs' attains much the largest size, while the two other species 

 are quite uniform in this respect, and only distinguishable from one 

 another by a close examination. The only differences which the fisher- 

 man would observe are those of size, and he would, therefore, naturally 

 recognize a larger and a smaller prawn, the former being PandaluH 

 borealis, and the latter consisting of the other two species. 



These three prawns have not yet found their way into the markets. 

 They occur in very much the same kind of localities, are frequently 

 associated together, but never approach near to the shore, and cannot 

 be taken in the ordinary fishing nets and traps used upon our coast. 

 They are known to the lobster fishermen of some part of the New Eng- 

 land coast, irom the fact of their occasionally entering the lobster pots 

 in deep water. When their haunts, great abundance, and fine flavor, 

 as well as the proper methods of capturing them, become known to the 

 fishermen, it is fair to suppose that they will give rise to an important 

 industry. Such a fishery must necessarily be more difficult than the 

 shrimp and prawn fisheries of the Southern States, and would require 



