April 1951 



CamiEBClAL FISHERIES REVTEW 



one. In each of 18 widely-scattered drags made in this area at night between 20 and 

 55 fathoms, broivn-grooved shrimp were tsLken at rates varying from 5 pounds to 150 

 pounds per hour. Although work in this area was limited to a few drags and no very 

 extensive concentrations of shrimp were located, it should be noted that the amount 

 of trawlable bottom probably exceeds 5,000 square miles and that all of the sample 

 drags produced some shrimp. ^ 



This exploration is not yet 

 complete and additional work 

 is planned to cover the rest 

 of the Gulf waters adjacent 

 to the United States and to 

 obtain rough determinations 

 of the seasonal fluctuations 

 in concentrations of brovm- 

 grooved shrimp. The pink- 

 grooved shrimp (P. duorarum ) 

 was not observed in the Ore- 

 gon ' s catches in the north 

 and northwest Gulf outward 

 from depths of 30 fathoms 

 and negligible numbers of 

 white or green-tailed shrimp 

 (P. aetif erus ) were taken. 



FIGURE 5 - READYING A TOO- FOOT SHRIMP TRAWL FOR FISHING 

 ABOARD THE OREGON . 



A few shrimp trawlers have worked in the deeper waters near the Mississippi 

 River mouth since the fall of I95O. It seems probable, however, that profitable 

 fishing in deeper waters of some areas in northwest Gulf will be dependent on the 

 development of trawling gear better adapted to work in very soft mud. The trial 

 of gear designed for use under these special conditions is planned. 



Thirteen drags were made in the north and northwest Gxilf in 60 to I60 fathoms. 

 In general, the results at these depths have been poor. Few shrimp, and none of 

 commercial interest, were taken and damage to gear was great, partly because of 

 rough bottom and partly because of excessive loading by heart urchins. Five drags 

 made in 200 to 25O fathoms near the mouth of the Mississippi and southeast of 

 Aransas Pass, Texas, vrere of interest because catches were not only larger than 

 in the 60- to 150-fathom range but included a much greater variety of foins. One 

 species of sh.rimp, Hymenopeneus robustus , was taken in sufficient quantity to be 

 of possible comraercial interest; for example, a 45-minute drag with a 40-foot 

 trawl produced 60 pounds of 28-count (heads-on) shrimp and 61 pounds of scrap. 

 The largest of these shrimp were about 14 to the pound, heads on, but the lots 

 taken by the Oregon were of mixed sizes averaging about 28 count. They resemble 

 boiled shrimp in color when taken from the water. These shrimp have good flavor 

 and texture but have a lobster-like taste quite different from the shrimp now 

 marketed. 



MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS 



Analysis of catches made with shrimp trawls by the Oregon have shown the pres- 

 ence of relatively large stocks of low value but marketable kinds of fish in depths 

 from 25 to 60 fathoms. Among these are butterfish, harvestfish, scup or porgy, and 

 king whiting. Croaker and their allies, the dominant group in less than 25 fathoms, 

 are less frequent in the deeper waters and even in deeper waters average too small 

 to market under present conditions. In three drags made in depths from 60 to I50 

 fathoms over sand and shell bottom, a few specimens of tilef ish and flounder (Para- 

 lichthys squamilentus ) were taken. Information obtained incidental to further work 



