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Abstract:
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In 1971, important food and game fish were sampled in the Laguna
Madre, Texas. Juveniles were sampled with a 60-foot bag seine while
adults were sampled with a 1200-foot trammel net. Techniques employed
were similar to those used in previous years and results from several
years' study were compared. Species included the spotted sea trout
(Cynocion nebulosus), redfish (Sciaenops ocellata), southern flounder
(Paralichthys lethostigma), black drum (Pogonias cromis) and sheepshead
(Archosargus probatocephalus).
In the Upper Laguna Madre, juvenile redfish were less abundant in
1971 than in 1970. Juvenile sea trout numbers were unchanged. In the
Lower Laguna Madre redfish numbers were unchanged from those found in
1969 (1970 figures unavailable), while sea trout numbers were about
one-half of those found in 1969. Adult fish samples in the Lower
Laguna show that redfish yields in pounds continue to surpass those
for sea trout as they have since fall, 1968. The relative shortage of
yearling redfish in fall, 1971 indicated a poor hatch in the preceeding
year. |