In order to examine the catching selectivity of the ark shell(Scapharca broughtonii) dredge, the various factors affecting the selective action of the dredge are analyzed, and the probabilities of the ark shell not shifting through the gaps between the teeth, and the mesh of the netting bag, are calculated for the various shell lengths, using the relation between the posture and the length when the shell passes through these parts.Considering that the probability of making catch is the product of the both probabilities described above, and that this probability is proportional to the relative catching efficiency, the selectivity curves for the ark shell dredge were estimated for various gaps between the teeth and for the various mesh sizes of the netting bag. The obtained results are summarized as follows :1. The ratios of the shell length of ark shell to the distance between teeth indicating the relative catching efficiency of 0%, 50, 100% respectively were 1.0, 1.26~1.28, 1.47~1.44, and that the selection ranges of selective shell length by the distance between teeth were 0.47~0.44, where the distances between teeth were 3.2cm, 3.6cm, 4.0cm, 4.4cm and 4.8cm. 2. The ratios of the shell length of ark shell to the mesh size indicating the relative catching efficiency of 0%, 50%, 100% respectively were 0.67, 0.84, 0.97 and that the selection range of shell length for catching, that in the range of selective shell length by the mesh size was 0.31, where the distance of 4.0cm between teeth, mesh size of 6.0 cm and the smaller mesh angle of 60˚3. Where the distance between teeth is 4.0 cm and the smaller mesh angle is 60˚, the selection range of shell length for catching of the ark shell dredge is decreased according to the mesh size, and it is minimized by 0.20 in the mesh size of 9.0~10.0 cm, but increased in the mesh size of over 11.0 cm. 4. Where the distance between teeth is 4.0 cm, the selective action by the mesh size of netting bag is begun with the mesh size of over 10.0 cm.

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