Since October 1998 to October 1999 an experimental survey, comprising 12 monthly fishing trips were carried out
in Galician Bank (ICES Divisions IXb) by two commercial trawlers of the Spanish fleet. The aims of this survey
were to explore the fishing resources of studied area and to know the species community associated to this
seamount.
A total of 297 valid hauls were made during 309 hours of fishing and yielded a total catch of 45 145 kg in the depth
strata studied (650-1200 m). The community of species in the area prospected presented high species richness. A
total of 106 species were made up of 70 teleosts, 11 sharks, 3 rays, 2 chimaeras, 11 crustacea, 6 molluscs and 3
equinoderms
The most important species captured were teleosts: H. mediterraneus, M.moro, L. eques, A. bairdii, E. telescopus, T.
cristulata and L. piscatorius, followed for deep sharks: D. licha, D. calceus and crustacean: Ch affinis. The yields
obtained for the whole series of fishing trips were low being the values obtained by order of importance: 30.3, 14.0,
13.1, 11.7, 4.8, 4.2, 2.5 kg/h and 1 kg/h for the teleosts; 2.0, 1.7, kg/h for sharks and 1.2 kg/h for crustacean. The
results indicate, in general, there were no differences in depth distribution of the species characterised by the
presence or absence of certain species and also, a seasonal variation in the abundance of the most important caught
