20 



COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 



Vol. 28, No. 8 



tracted anchovies. Many schools were also 

 detected with the Precision Depth Recorder. 



Intensive echo-sounder tracks were made 

 in a small area where the commercial fish- 

 ing fleet was having exceptionally good an- 

 chovy fishing. Fish school echoes gave no 

 indication of the concentrations upon which 

 the fleet was fishing. A tow with the large 

 midwater trawl in this area caught only 15 

 pounds of anchovies. 



Note: See Commercial Fisheries Review, July 1966 p. 16. 



^ 5|C S|; ^"S iJC 



M/V "Alaska " Cruise 66 -A -4 (May 16-26, 

 1966): To catch and tag northern anchovies 

 ( Engraulis morda ) with internal metal tags 

 was the objective of this cruise by the re- 

 search vessel Alaska . The area of operations 

 was from Cape Colnett, northern Baja Cali- 

 fornia to San Diego in southern California. 



The area from Ensenada to Cape Colnett 

 was scouted and light stations were made in 

 various localities to attract fish. Anchovies 

 were caught by blanket net near Todos Santos 

 Island, tagged and released at Point San Isi- 

 dro. Fish schools were found in other local- 

 ities, but anchovies were not caught in suffi- 

 cient quantities for tagging. 



Anchovies were purchased from the local 

 live-bait operator at Ensenada, tagged on two 

 successive days, and released in areas north 

 of Ensenada. Fish were also purchased from 

 a San Diego bait operator, tagged and released 

 8-10 miles off Point Loma and La Jolla. 

 Wherever possible, the fish were released oni 

 another fish school attracted by light or de- 

 tected with the fathometer. 



Note: See Commercial l-'isheries Review , March 1966 p. 19. 



ABALONE OBSERVATIONS AND 

 GROWTH STUDIES CONTINUED: 



M/V " MoUusk" Cruise 66-M-l (May 21- 

 June 6, 1966): To determine the red abalone 

 ( Haliotis refescens ) population by utilizing 

 stratified random sampling techniques was 

 the main objective of this cruise by the Cali- 

 fornia Department of Fish and Game research 

 vessel MoUusk . Other objectives were to tag 

 red abalone at each sampling site for growth 

 and fishing mortality estimates, and to inves- 

 tigate ecological relationships of red abalone. 

 The vessel operated in the coastal area from 

 Point Estero to Cambria. 



A total of 30 diving stations were selected 

 at random, each measured 15 feet wide by 

 100 feet long. Station depths ranged from 22- 

 70 feet. All recoverable abalone were col- 

 lected and measured; those measuring more 

 than 4 inches were tagged and replaced at 

 each station. 



Tenaperature measurements, visibility es- 

 timates, substrate characteristics and obvi- 

 ous living quantities were recorded at each 

 station. 



Fair to good weather was generally pres- 

 ent during the cruise. Surface temperatures 

 ranged from 10.5° C. (50.9° F.) to 12.0° C. 

 (53.6° F.); bottom temperatures varied from 

 9.9° C. (49.8° F.) at a depth of 40 feet to 

 11.5° C. (52.7° F.) at a depth of 32 feet. Mod- 

 erate to strong westerly winds pushed amass 

 of cooler water through the survey area dur- 

 ing the latter part of the cruise. 



Estimates of bottom visibility averaged a- 

 bout 11 feet, ranging from 6-25 feet There 

 was less visibility in surface waters due to 

 heavy plankton concentrations. 



A total of 355 red abalone was counted at 

 24 of the 30 stations. They ranged from 5.1 



centimeters (2 inch- 

 es) to 23.1 centime- 

 ters (a little more 

 than 9 inches) in 

 greatest length. 

 There were 25 less 

 than 4 inches; 282 

 ranged from 4 inches 

 to I4 inches; and 48 

 were commercial 

 legals (7f inches and 

 greater). 



Red Abalone Shell 

 (Haliotis rufescens) 



Of the 6 stations not producing red aba- 

 lone, 1 was entirely on sand; 2 were primari- 

 ly on sand but had a few small, scattered 

 rocky outcrops; the remaining 3 were in 65- 

 to 70-foot depths, marginal depth for red aba- 

 lone in that area. However, flat abalone (H. 

 walallensis ) and pinto (H. kamts chatkanaT T 

 were common to abundant at those latter 3 

 stations, and were frequently seen throughout 

 the survey. Flat abalone up to 2 inches in 

 greatest length were often collected beneath 

 giant red urchins ( Strongylocentratus fran- 

 ciscanus). 



All red abalone examined appeared to be 

 in excellent condition. Recent shell growth 



