<em>Abstract.</em>—We examined the swimming performance and behavior of red snapper, <em>Lutjanus campechanus. </em>Our intention was to use this information toward developing a more efficient bycatch reduction device for use in the Gulf of Mexico shrimp trawl fishery. Using a Brett type swim tunnel, we found a significant effect of fish size and season on red snapper critical swimming speeds. For fish ranging between 6 and 17 cm standard length, critical swimming speeds ranged from about 35–70 cm/s, depending upon season. However, critical swimming speeds did not differ between day and night. This was an important observation since the majority of shrimp trawling in the Gulf occurs at night. We constructed and tested in the laboratory, a Vortex Generating Bycatch Reduction Device (VGBRD) that may prove useful in the shrimp trawl fishery. During behavioral tests during daylight, 79.2% of red snapper exited the VGBRD in an average of 4.1 min. However, during night-time tests, only 17.6% of red snapper exited the VGBRD in an average of 5.0 min. Behavioral tests revealed a strong negative phototactic response in dark adapted red snapper. We found that, during night-time tests when the VGBRD was illuminated with LED lights placed downstream of the exit, 96% of red snapper exited the device in 7.1 min. In color/ contrast choice experiments, red snapper unerringly associated with the dark colored (black or dark green) panel placed on the bottom of the experimental tank. In another set of experiments, we found that snapper displayed a strong optomotor response, i.e. the tendency to following and match speeds with a moving pattern. Illumination, color/contrast, and/or the optomotor response may improve bycatch reduction device performance.
Simple gear modifications for achieving greater than 40% bycatch reduction in an estuarine shrimp trawl fishery