Distribution and Abundance of Illex illecebrosus (Le Sueur) in Subareas 3 and 4: Results of an Exploratory Cruise

Abstract

The migrant Cephalopod Onmastrephid Illex illecebrosus (La Sueur), arrives to the Grand Bank of Newfoundland in late June or the beginning of July (SQUIRES 1957). This species has long supported small inshore fisheries (MERCER 1973) but offshore fisheries have been expanding from some years ago, so that as given by MERCER (1974), in 1974 offshore landings of thmspecies accounted for 93 per cent of the landings of the species in this two Subareas (3 and 4). During the months of May and June of 1975 a cruise was carried out on board a spanish scouting vessel (commercial otter trawl type) in order to study the distribution, density and the possible yield of this resource for commercial purpose. [...] Raja sp., Pseudopleuronectes americanus, Sebastes marinus, Glyptocephalus cynoglossus, Gadus morhua, Lophius americanus, Hippoglossus hippoglossoides, Merluccius bilinearis, Ammodites sp., Mallotus villosus, Lycodes reticulatus, Nezumia bairdi, Reinhardtius hippoglossoides, Anarhichas lupus, Clupea harengus, Anarhichas minor, Paralichthys dentatus, Urophycis sp., Melanogrammus aeglefinus, Scomber scombrus, Pollachius virens, Argentina silus, Scualus acanthia. Brosme brosme, Hippoglossoides platessoides [...]