Dahlstrom, W. A.

Willis, Mel

English

Aquatic Commons

State of California - The Resources Agency 
Department of Fish and Game 
Marine Resources Operations 
California State Fisheries Laboratory 
Terminal Island, California 
CRUISE REPORT 69-S-2 PRAWNS 
Prepared by W. A. Dahlstrom and Mel Willis 
Vessel:	 N. B. SCOFIELD 
Dates:	 Departed San Pedro March 26, 1969 
Returned San Pedro April 11, 1969 
Locality:	 Coastal waters in deep water canyon areas off Catalina Island, 
Santa Cruz Island, Anacapa Island, Port Hueneme, Point Mugu, 
Point Dume, Redondo, San Pedro, La Jolla and San Diego. 
Purpose:	 To conduct exploratory fishing for spot prawns, PandaZus 
pZatycepoB~ to determine distribution and abundance of the 
species. 
To determine catching efficiency of mesh covered traps and bur­
lap covered traps. 
To determine size, sex, and weight of prawns from all areas. 
To identify	 and count all incidental species caught. 
Operations:	 A total of 73 stations, 12 off Catalina Island (Figure 1),20 
off Santa Cruz and Anacapa Islands (Figure 2), 24 from Point 
Hueneme to Point Fermin (Figure 3), and 17 off La Jolla and San 
Diego (Figure 4), was fished with cylindrical traps. All traps 
were baited with salted rockfish carcasses. At each station, 
eight to ten traps generally were set in 90 to 120 fathoms of 
water; however, the depth of the sets ranged from 18 to 140 
fathoms . 
Experiments to determine the catching efficiency of mesh covered
 
traps and the burlap covered traps were conducted off Catalina
 
Island. Five traps of each type were used at each station.
 
These were alternated along the line until all ten traps were set.
 
A sample of the catch from each station which produced prawns was
 
sexed, weighed, and measured.
 
Incidental species and surface temperatures were recorded for all
 
stations.
 
Results:	 Best catches of prawns came from off Catalina Island where 119 
traps caught 165.9 pounds, an a'verage of 1.4 pOl.ll1ds per trap. 
The best station yielded 2.8 pounds per trap. Prawns were caught 
at all stations in this area. 
Sex composition of the Catalina catch was 53.0 percent males, 13.3 
percent transitionals, and 33.7 percent females. Eggs were ob­
served on 30.7 percent of the females. Average heads-on count per 
pound for the combined sexes was 13.4. 
Personnel: 
- 2 ­
The catch of burlap covered traps off Catalina Island was 96.1 
pounds for 59 traps compared with 6ge8 pounds for 60 meshed 
traps~ These traps were identical in construction and size ex­
cept on one-half of them the meshes were covered over with 
burlap~ The center 1/3 of the trap was not covered. Average 
catch per trap was '1.6 prawns per trap for the covered and 1.2 
prawns per trap for the unco'veredd' Highest station catches 
were 2 .. 6 and 2 ~ 8 pounds per trap for the covered and uncovered 
traps respectively~ Analyses of the data showed virtually no 
difference between size of the prawns caught by each type of 
gear. 
Only three prawns were caught off La Jolla from six stations.
 
On the Coronado Escarpment off San Diego, 122 prawns were
 
caught in 107 traps at 11 stations. This amounted to 9.9 pounds
 
and an average heads-on count of l2~0 per pounde Sex composi­

tion of the catch was 42~6 percent males, 2406 percent transi­

tionals, and 32.8 percent females. Eggs were obser'ved on 62.5
 
percent of the females.
 
A total of 48 prawns was caught off Anacapa and Santa Cruz
 
Islands in 189 traps at 20 stations" These weighed 6. 3 pounds
 
and had an average heads-on count of '7 e 4 per pound~ Sex com­

position of the catch was 20~8 percent males, 2~1 percent tran­

sitionals, and 77.1 percent females 0 Eggs were observed on
 
29.7 percent of the females~ 
Of the 24 stations from Point Hueneme to Point Fermin, the only 
one that yielded prawns was off Point Dume~ Here only four 
prawns were caught and they were all females with an average 
heads-on count of .5 ~ 4 per pounde 
Surface temperatures ranged from a high of 16e30C (6l.30F) off 
Catalina Island on March 31 to a low of 11(' gOe (53e 4°F) off 
Anacapa Island on April 3. 
Incidental species were collected and saved for the California 
State Fisheries Laboratory. About 40 live sablefish were saved 
for Marineland of the Pacific~ 
R. B~ Mitchell, Vessel Captain 
We An Dahlstrom, Biologist-in-charge 
M. Willis, Biologist 
MRO-TI/150 
5-6-69/lr 
Catalina
 
Island
 
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Cruise Report 69-S-2: Prawns

http://aquaticcommons.org/1949/1/CR_69-S-2.pdf

Cruise Report 69-S-2: Prawns

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