Exploitation and Mortality of Male Dungeness Crabs (Cancer magister) Near Tofino, British Colombia

1989 ◽  
Vol 46 (9) ◽  
pp. 1609-1614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barry D. Smith ◽  
Glen S. Jamieson
Keyword(s):  
Frequency Analysis ◽  
Carapace Width ◽  
Fishing Mortality ◽  
Cancer Magister ◽  
Commercial Catch ◽  
Small Component ◽  
Size Frequency ◽  
British Colombia ◽  
Intense Exploitation ◽  
Dungeness Crabs

Male Dungeness crabs (Cancer magister) were sampled by traps and monitored by tagging as they moulted and entered the fishery near Tofino, British Columbia, from April 1985 until March 1987. Males first recruited to the fishery after moulting from the μ = 129-mm CW (carapace width) to the μ = 156-mm CW normal instar. Sublegalsized males (< 154 mm notch-to-notch CW) in the μ = 156-mm CW instar (≈ 42% of this instar) were found to have a high annual natural mortality (M = 2.9–4.5), with < 10% surviving to legal size. Legal-sized males experienced high annual fishing mortality (F = 5.1–6.9), so consequently a small component of the commercial catch consisted of males in larger instars. Size frequency analysis, which measured the percent exploitation of the μ = 156-mm CW instar, indicated that legal-sized males remained in relatively low abundance during this year-round fishery because of intense exploitation. Mark–recovery data and size frequency analysis also indicated this intense fishery was sustained throughout most of the year by a protracted moulting season. Consequently, we observed prolonged periods with a high percentage of less desirable soft-shelled males in the commercial catch.

Does intense fishing on males impair mating success of female Dungeness crabs

1997 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 655-669 ◽  
Author(s):  
D G Hankin ◽  
T H Butler ◽  
P W Wild ◽  
Q -L Xue
Keyword(s):  
Mating Success ◽  
Egg Production ◽  
Carapace Width ◽  
Minimum Size ◽  
Cancer Magister ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Mature Adult ◽  
Commercial Harvest ◽  
Size Limits ◽  
Dungeness Crabs

Commercial capture of female Dungeness crabs, Cancer magister, is prohibited and minimum size limits for commercial harvest of male crabs are designed to allow most males to mate at least once before capture. Annual exploitation rates often exceed 90%, however, and the resulting scarcity of large males might reduce mating success among large females. We present new data regarding (i) sizes of male and female crabs collected in premating embraces, (ii) carapace width frequencies of female Dungeness crabs, (iii) presence of sperm plugs and sperm, and (iv) fecundity. Minimum carapace width of hard-shelled mating males typically exceeds postmolt carapace width of soft-shelled females (i), but female Dungeness crabs exceeding the minimum legal size of males usually account for less than 5% of mature adult female crabs (ii), and sublegal-sized males actively participate in mating (i). Remnants of sperm plugs, definitive indicators of mating, were found in 97.5% of recently molted large females (iii), suggesting that virtually all molting females mate regardless of size. On the basis of (ii) and (iv), hypothetical worst-case calculations, assuming that no large females could find mates, suggest that total egg production would be reduced by no more than 2-25% among molting female crabs.

Estimation of Size-Specific Molting Probabilities in Adult Decapod Crustaceans Based on Postmolt Indicator Data

1989 ◽  
Vol 46 (10) ◽  
pp. 1819-1830 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael S. Mohr ◽  
David G. Hankin
Keyword(s):  
Adult Female ◽  
Binary Classification ◽  
Carapace Width ◽  
Estimation Procedure ◽  
Survival Ratio ◽  
Cancer Magister ◽  
Constant Variance ◽  
Indicator Data ◽  
Dungeness Crabs

For crustaceans that exhibit a well-defined molting season, postmolt indicator methods may be used to classify a sample of animals collected after the molting season into those that have molted and those that have failed to molt. This binary classification of a sample may be used to estimate size-specific molting probabilities. We derive maximum likelihood estimators for these molting probabilities, and for the variances of estimated molting probabilities, based on such postmolt indicator data. Estimators assume that the premolt–postmolt relation is linear with an additive and normally distributed error term of constant variance and, in their simplest form, assume that the ratio (Ri) of size-specific survival probabilities through the molting season for molting as compared with nonmolting individuals is known. For the more likely situation in which only a plausible range for Ri is specifiable, an estimation procedure is proposed which minimizes the maximum possible error (mean square error) of the molting probability estimator over this range. We illustrate application of estimators using shell condition data collected from the northern California population of adult female Dungeness crabs (Cancer magister). Estimated annual molting probabilities for adult female Dungeness crabs were greater than 0.90 for crabs less than 135 mm carapace width, but then declined rapidly until they were near zero for crabs exceeding 160 mm carapace width. This conclusion was not substantively affected by choices of a survival ratio ranging from 0.4 to 1.0.

scholarly journals Ventilation, Oxygen Uptake and Haemolymph Oxygen Transport, Following Enforced Exhausting Activity in the Dungeness Crab Cancer Magister

1979 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 271-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. R. McMAHON ◽  
D. G. McDONALD ◽  
C. M. WOOD
Keyword(s):  
Cardiac Output ◽  
Oxygen Uptake ◽  
Oxygen Transport ◽  
Lactate Concentration ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Oxygen Extraction ◽  
Oxygen Release ◽  
Cancer Magister ◽  
Metabolic Scope ◽  
Dungeness Crabs

Scaphognathite and heart-pumping frequencies, ventilation volume, cardiac output, oxygen uptake and oxygen transport by haemolymph have been studied in unrestrained Dungeness crabs (Cancer magister) before, immediately after, and during recovery from 20 min of enforced exhausting activity. Exercise increased oxygen uptake 4-fold. This increase was achieved by more than 2-fold elevation of both ventilation volume and cardiac output and by greater participation of haemocyanin in oxygen delivery. The elevated ventilation volume resulted entirely from an increase in scaphognathite pumping frequency, while the rise in cardiac output resulted largely from increase in stroke volume. Prior to exercise haemocyanin accounts for less than 50% of the oxygen delivered to the tissues. Following exercise this increases to over 80%, the additional oxygen release being mediated by a depression of prebranchial oxygen tension and a substantial Bohr effect resulting from build up of lactate ion in the haemolymph and subsequent fall in pH. These changes allowed % oxygen extraction from branchial water to be maintained at 28% despite a 2-fold increase in ventilation volume, and allowed an increase in %. oxygen extraction by the tissues. Despite these changes oxygen supply fell below demand during exercise, and considerable anaerobic metabolism resulted, as evidenced by a 9-fold increase in haemolymph lactate concentration. The resulting oxygen debt required 8–24 h for repayment. Aerobic metabolic scope, and mechanisms of increasing oxygen uptake and transport in this crab are compared with those of a range of fish species.

Some Uses of Probability Paper in the Analysis of Size Frequency Distributions

1954 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 513 ◽  
Author(s):  
RM Cassie
Keyword(s):  
Frequency Analysis ◽  
Length Frequency ◽  
Scale Reading ◽  
Frequency Distributions ◽  
Probability Paper ◽  
Size Frequency ◽  
Graph Paper ◽  
Probability Graph ◽  
Age Determinations ◽  
Length Frequency Analysis

Methods are described by which the component groups may be extracted from polymodal size frequency samples by the use of probability graph paper. Four examples are given illustrating: the solution of a distribution with more than two modes and with only one exposed flank; the coordination of fish age determinations by the two methods, length frequency analysis and scale reading; a bivariate sample where the two means coincide though the standard deviations are different; a method of correcting for truncation.

Heat-Pasteurization Process for Inactivation of Nonproteolytic Types of Clostridium botulinum in Picked Dungeness Crabmeat

1997 ◽  
Vol 60 (8) ◽  
pp. 928-934 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. E. PETERSON ◽  
G. A. PELROY ◽  
F. T. POYSKY ◽  
R. N. PARANJPYE ◽  
F. M. DONG ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clostridium Botulinum ◽  
Temperature Treatment ◽  
Heat Processing ◽  
Type B ◽  
Cancer Magister ◽  
Enrichment Medium ◽  
Heat Resistant ◽  
Heat Pasteurization ◽  
D Values ◽  
Dungeness Crabs

Development of a heat-pasteurization process is described for picked meat of Dungeness crabs (Cancer magister) contained in oxygen-impermeable flexible pouches, For each time-temperature treatment, 30 samples, each inoculated with an equal mixture of three strains of C. botulinum nonproteolytic type B, for a total of 107 spores, provided the basis for calculation of the thermal resistance (a 7D process). Following heat processing, the crabmeat was removed from the pouches and transferred to enrichment medium where it was incubated anaerobically for 150 days. Endpoints at which spores survived were determined by the presence of toxin in the enrichment medium. Process times ranged from 90 min at 88.9°C to 20.3 min at 94.4°C. D values (the time at each temperature required to reduce the inoculum by 1 log) ranged from 12.9 for the 88.9°C process to 2.9 for the 94.4°C process. The relative sterilization value, F0 was .054 and the pasteurization value, , was 240. This pasteurization process safely extends refrigerated shelf life by inactivating spores of Clostridium botulinum nonproteolytic types B, E, and F and also non-spore-forming pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes. The process does not, however, inactivate the heat-resistant proteolytic strains of C. botulinum or other more heat-resistant spore-formers. The packages and master cartons of the pasteurized product, therefore, should be labeled “Keep refrigerated—Continuous refrigeration below 38°F (3.3°C) required.”

Estimating trends in fishing mortality at age and length directly from research survey and commercial catch data

1998 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 1248-1263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan F Sinclair
Keyword(s):  
Population Analysis ◽  
New Method ◽  
Natural Mortality ◽  
Population Abundance ◽  
Similar Magnitude ◽  
Fishing Mortality ◽  
Commercial Catch ◽  
Relative Population ◽  
Research Survey

Relative fishing mortality (R) is estimated directly as the ratio of commercial catch divided by a research vessel survey index of relative population abundance. If the survey is conducted near the middle of the fishing year, its catchability is constant, and the rate of catch reporting remains constant, R will be proportional to the actual fishing mortality (F). Trends in R will reflect trends in F. A case study is presented where R at age and length are compared with estimates obtained with sequential population analysis (SPA). They were found to be of similar magnitude and trend. This new method would be useful for stocks where SPA is not possible. It would also be a useful addition to analytical assessments where SPA is used; it provides estimates of relative F at length, it is insensitive to changes in natural mortality provided the research survey occurs close to the middle of the fishing year, and it provides useful diagnostics for interpreting SPA results.

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