in 48 fathoms. Though no great quantity of fish were caught, there were 
Cara** stilla 
striped pargos^of the trip, and a 20-lb. Gulf grouper, Mycterooerca .lordani . 
This species has heretofore not been taken south of Cerralvo Island along the 
western shore of the Gulf of California. On the eastern side it is found as 
far south as Mazatlan. A number of dredge hauls were made alongshore in 6-10 
fathoms off Punt a Gorda. Of most interest among the Crustacea brought up 
were several specimens of Pliosoma parvifrons . a crab that has seldom been 
seen since it was originally described in I860 by William Stimpson. This 
crab is somewhat distantly related to the so-called horse-crab of much colder 
regions. From the fine sand bottom we also got a lot of sea pansies, Renilla. 
We left the Cape shortly after 2:30 p.m. for Socorro Island, 255 
miles farther south 
At / 4 b out 11:00 o'clocF^Tt nighty^one of the engineer officers called 
me to the engine room to see a lot of bright red shrimp they had discovered 
in the suction side of one of the condensers opened for minor repairs# ~ 
wa^s-angahtheid shrimp f P leuroncodes planines # very common in Lower California 
wa t e rs^- n I ■ 1 m S ceA at certain seasons# At times they occur in such countless 
numbers that they color the water red for great distances# Huge windrows 
of the dead shells of these animals have been observed in the past as con- 
spicuous red streaks along the shore line# Crustaceans of this type form an 
important whale food and without doubt this species played an important part 
m the former abundance of whales in the Lower Californian and Mexican waters# 
A large black sea bass taken in Magdalena Bay during the day regurgitated 
several of these galatheids when hauled into the boat# 
