The catch in numbers/digger tide for 6 mo combined sandworm 

 data (Table 13) varied between 1,028±60 and 1.184±38. Tax- 

 iarchis (footnote 33) judged the quality of sandworm digging on the 

 basis of the catch/tide: 500-700 sandworms/tide (fair), 700-1,000 

 sandworms/tide (good), and 1,000 and over/tide (excellent). 



Catch Statistics 



Eighteen of the most important parameters included on the sum- 

 mary sheet for catch statistics data collected during each dealer day- 

 light low tide period sampled (Table 6) were summarized by month 

 and for the 6-mo sampling period. These data are presented in 

 Tables 14 and 15 for bloodworms and sandworms, respectively. 

 The values presented in these tables were derived directly from the 

 sampling and interview data. Catch/effort values (catch in 

 numbers/digger tide, catch in numbers/digger hour, catch in 

 pounds/digger tide, catch in pounds/digger hour) derived in this 

 manner, are similar to values derived through ratios estimates 

 (Tables 12, 13). A comparison of catch/effort results obtained by 

 both methods are presented in Table 16. It is evident from Table 14 

 that the 6-mo mean (total) value/tide and value/hour information 

 collected for bloodworms during the commercial sampling pro- 

 gram (1973-76) varied between $27.97-$31.59 and 

 $10. 1 1— SI 1 .00, respectively. Similar information collected for 

 sandworms (Table 15) varied between $27.97-$40.30 and 

 SI 4.34-$ 19. 15, respectively. 



Information relevant to the price per worm paid to bloodworm 

 and sandworm diggers is presented in Figure 13A and B. Figure 

 13A was derived from U.S. Department of Commerce (1946-80) 

 information and Figure 13B was obtained directly from a Wiscasset 

 dealer. It is apparent from Figure 13 (A and B) that the price/worm 

 for both bloodworms and sandworms remained relatively constant 

 between at least 1945 and 1965. After 1965, the price/worm 

 increased rapidly for both species. The price of sandworms, how- 

 ever, has not increased as rapidly as the price of bloodworms. Fig- 

 ure 13B indicates that the Wiscasset dealer sometimes paid two to 

 four different prices for bloodworms and two different prices for 

 sandworms. These price differentials during a given year were the 

 result of both quality differences and overall price increases. The 

 price per worm recorded by month from the commercial sampling 

 results for bloodworms and sandworms is shown in Table 17. 

 Beginning in June 1976, a notable price increase for bloodworms 

 occurred. 



Length-Wet Weight Relationships 



Length-wet weight relationships for whole bloodworms and 

 sandworms obtained during samplings of the commercial catch are 

 presented in Figures 14 and 15, respectively. 



As mentioned previously, few sexually discernible bloodworms 

 were obtained in ourcoastwide samplings of the commercial blood- 

 worm catch between 1974 and 1976. The length-weight relation- 

 ships for those few male and female sandworms obtained coastwide 

 between 1974 and 1976 are presented in Figure 15A. A comparison 

 of the slopes of the length-weight curves for males and females of 

 each species (Table 18) shows that, at 95% confidence limits 

 (±1.96 SE) overlap occurs in the upper and lower ranges of the b 

 values. No significant differences therefore exist in the length- 

 weight relationships for male and female bloodworms and sand- 

 worms. 



Length-weight relationships for bloodworms and sandworms 

 from 1) all areas and all sexes combined, and 2) eastern Maine 

 (Jonesport, Beals, Addison, Milbridge, and Harrington) and the 

 Sheepscot River (excluding Montsweag Bay), are displayed in Fig- 

 ure 14 (B and C) and Figure 15 (B and C), respectively. A compari- 

 son of the slopes of the length-weight curves for bloodworms and 

 sandworms from eastern Maine and the Sheepscot River (Table 1 8) 

 shows that, at 95% confidence limits (±1.96 SE), no overlap 

 occurs in the upper and lower range of b values for these data. Sig- 

 nificant differences therefore exist in the length-weight relation- 

 ships for both bloodworms and sandworms in eastern Maine and 

 the Sheepscot River. 



One possible explanation for the existence of these significant 

 differences in length-weight relationships for bloodworms from 

 eastern Maine and the Sheepscot River may be related to the fact 

 that mature bloodworms are rare in eastern Maine. Bloodworms in 

 this area may substitute an increase in weight for the production of 

 gametes. No explanation can presently be given for the significant 

 differences in length-weight relationships for sandworms in both 

 areas. 



The authors were unable to locate any other bloodworm length- 

 weight relationships in the literature to compare with data presented 

 here. A scatter diagram for sandworm length-weight relationships 

 is presented in Snow and Marsden ( 1974), but a comparison is diffi- 

 cult because their results are not fully analyzed. 



Numbers of Bloodworms and Sandworms Per Pound 



Given the mean length data ( ± SE) and length-wet weight rela- 

 tionships obtained from the commercial sampling program, we 

 were able to calculate the numbers of bloodworms and sandworms 

 per pound ( ± 1 .96 SE) for each 6-mo sampling period as well as the 

 maximum and minimum values for individual months within that 

 sampling period. These data are presented in Table 19. Although 

 the mean number of bloodworms per pound decreased during the 4- 

 yr sampling period, the decrease was not significant at 95% confi- 

 dence levels ( ± 1 .96 SE). No significant changes were recorded in 

 the numbers of sandworms per pound during the 4-yr sampling 

 period either. 



Past estimates of the numbers of bloodworms and sandworms 

 per pound are presented in Table 20. Although some of these data 

 (106 bloodworms/lb and 63 sand worms/lb) are biased in that they 

 were obtained from a specific geographical area, the Sheepscot 

 River (Walton 35 ), they suggest that a progressive decrease occurred 

 in size of both bloodworms and sandworms harvested prior to 

 1970. The 1950-52 figure of 44 bloodworms/lb (Cates and Mc- 

 Kown 16 ) may be questioned to some degree because a recent inter- 

 view with one bloodworm dealer revealed that he supplied these 

 port samplers with the largest bloodworms in his possession when 

 asked for a representative bloodworm sample used in deriving this 

 figure. 



Estimates of Marine Worm Age 



One of the most difficult problems encountered in our studies of 

 the commercial baitworm fishery was the analysis of commercial 



35 C. J. Wallon. Marine resources scientist. Maine Dep. Sea Shore Fish.. West 

 Boolhbay Harbor. ME04575. pers. commun. 1966. I%8. 



">L. B. Cates. Port sampler. Maine Dep. Sea Shore Fish.. Augusta. ME 04330. 

 pers. commun. and D. A. McKown. Port sampler. National Marine Fisheries Serv- 

 ice. NOAA. Rockland. ME 0484 I. pers. commun. 



31 



