Document ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2002-0049-0066
Agency: epa
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2003-03-19T05:00Z

Biological
Report
82(
11.117)

L
December
1989
Lfbwm
N.
­
`*
­
­
I
­
U
acrcarch,
yter
7%
IA_
TR
EL­
82­
4
Species
Profiles:
Life
Histories
and
Environmental
Requirements
of
Coastal
and
Invertebrates
(
Pacific
Southwest)
Llbrarv
National
Wetlands
Research
Cen&
U.
S.
Fish
and
Wildlife
Servfce
Fishes
700
CaJundome
Boulevard
Lafayette,
La.
70506
BROWN
ROCK
CRAB,
RED
ROCK
CRAB,
AND
YELLOW
CRAB
QL
155
.
S63
ll0.
11.

Fish
and
Wildlife
Service
U.
S.
Department
of
the
Interior
Coastal
Ecology
Group
Waterways
Experiment
Station
U.
S.
Army
Corps
of
Engineers
Biological
Report
82(
Il.
117)
TR
EL­
82­
4
December
1989
Species
Profiles:
Life
Histories
and
Environmental
Requirements
of
Coastal
Fishes
and
Invertebrates
(
Pacific
Southwest)

BROWN
ROCK
CRAB,
RED
ROCK
CRAB,
AND
YELLOW
CRAB
Jay
C.
Carroll
TENERA
Environmental
Avila
Beach,
CA
93424
and
Richard
N.
Winn
South
Carolina
Wildlife
and
Marine
Resources
Department
Charleston,
SC
294
12
Project
Officer
David
Moran
U.
S.
Fish
and
Wildlife
Service
National
Wetlands
Research
Center
1010
Gause
Boulevard
Slidell,
LA
70458
Performed
for
U.
S.
Army
Corps
of
Engineers
Waterways
Experiment
Station
Coastal
Ecology
Group
Vicksburg,
MS
39
180
U.
S.
Department
of
the
Interior
Fish
and
Wildlife
Service
Research
and
Development
National
Wetlands
Research
Center
Washington,
DC
20240
This
series
may
be
referenced
as
follows:

U.
S.
Fish
and
Wildlife
Service.
1983­
19_.
Species
profiles:
life
histories
and
environmental
requirements
of
coastal
fishes
and
invertebrates.
TR
EL­
82­
4.
U.
S.
Fish
Wildl.
Serv.
Biol.
Rep.
82(
11).
U.
S.
Army
Corps
of
Engineers,

This
profile
may
be
cited
as
follows:

Carroll,
J.
C.,
and
R.
N.
Winn.
1989.
Species
profiles:
life
histories
and
environmental
requirements
of
coastal
fishes
and
invertebrates
(
Pacific
Southwest)­­
brown
rock
crab,
red
rock
crab,
and
yellow
crab.
U.
S.
Fish
Wildl.
Serv.
Biol.
Rep.
82(
11.117).
U.
S.
Army
Corps
of
Engineers,
TR
EL­
82­
4.
16
pp.
PREFACE
This
species
profile
is
one
of
a
series
on
coastal
aquatic
organisms,
principally
fish,
of
sport,
commercial,
or
ecological
importance.
The
profiles
are
designed
to
provide
coastal
managers,
engineers,
and
biologists
with
a
brief
comprehensive
sketch
of
the
biological
characteristics
and
environmental
requirements
of
the
species
and
to
describe
how
populations
of
the
species
may
be
expected
to
react
to
environmental
changes
caused
by
coastal
development.
Each
profile
has
sections
on
taxonomy,
life
history,
ecological
role,
environmental
requirements,
and
economic
importance,
if
applicable.
A
three­
ring
binder
is
used
for
this
series
so
that
new
profiles
can
be
added
as
they
are
prepared.
This
project
is
jointly
planned
and
financed
by
the
U.
S.
Army
Corps
of
Engineers
and
the
U.
S.
Fish
and
Wildlife
Service.

Suggestions
or
questions
regarding
this
report
should
be
directed
to
one
of
the
following
addresses.

Information
Transfer
Specialist
U.
S.
Fish
and
Wildlife
Service
National
Wetlands
Research
Center
NASA­
Slide11
Computer
Complex
1010
Gause
Boulevard
Slidell,
LA
70458
or
U.
S.
Army
Engineer
Waterways
Experiment
Station
Attention:
WESER­
C
Post
Office
Box
63
1
Vicksburg,
MS
39180
.
.
.
ill
CONVERSION
TABLE
Metric
to
U.
S.
Customary
Multiply
BY
millimeters
(
mm)
0.03937
centimeters
(
cm)
0.3937
meters
(
m)
3.281
meters
0.5468
kilometers
(
km)
0.6214
kilometers
0.5396
square
meters
(
m2)
square
kilometers
(
km2)
10.76
0.3861
hectares
(
ha)
2.47
1
liters
(
1)
cubic
meters
(
m3)
0.2642
35.31
cubic
meters
0.0008110
milligrams
(
mg)
0.00003527
grams
(
g)
0.03527
kilograms
(
kg)
2.205
metric
tons
(
t)
2205.0
metric
tons
1.102
kilocalories
(
kcal)
3.968
Celsius
degrees
("
C)
1.8("
C)+
32
U.
S.
Customary
to
Metric
inches
25.40
inches
2.54
feet
(
ft)
0.3048
fathoms
1.829
statute
miles
(
mi)
1.609
nautical
miles
(
nmi)
1.852
square
feet
(
ft2)
square
miles
(
mi2)
0.0929
2.590
acres
0.4047
gallons
(
gal)
cubic
feet
(
ft3)
3.785
0.0283
1
acre­
feet
1233.0
ounces
(
oz)
28350.0
ounces
28.35
pounds
(
lb)
0.4536
pounds
0.00045
short
tons
(
ton)
0.9072
British
thermal
units
(
Btu)
0.2520
Fahrenheit
degrees
("
FJ
0.5556
("
F
­
32)

iv
To
Obtain
inches
inches
feet
fathoms
statute
miles
nautical
miles
square
feet
square
miles
acres
gallons
cubic
feet
acre­
feet
ounces
ounces
pounds
pounds
short
tons
British
thermal
units
Fahrenheit
degrees
millimeters
centimeters
meters
meters
kilometers
kilometers
square
meters
square
kilometers
hectares
liters
cubic
meters
cubic
meters
milligrams
grams
kilograms
metric
tons
metric
tons
kilocalories
Celsius
degrees
CONTENTS
PREFACE
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CONVERSIONTABLE
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iv
FIGURES
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vi
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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vii
NOMENCLATURE/
TAXONOMY/
RANGE..
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1
MORPHOLOGY/
IDENTIFICATION
AIDS
...................................................
3
REASONFORINCLUSIONINSERIES
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4
LIFEHISTORY
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4
Mating
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4
EggsandFecundity
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4
Larvae
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5
Juveniles
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5
Adults
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6
Movements
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7
GROWTHCHARACTERISTICS
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7
ECOLOGICALROLE
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8
THEFISHERY
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9
CommercialHarvest
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9
RecreationalHarvest
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9
Factors
Affecting
Commercial
Landings
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10
ENVIRONMENTALREQUIREMENTS
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11
.

LITERATURECITED
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13
V
FIGURES
Number
1
Rockcrabs
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1
2
Distribution
of
rock
crabs
in
the
Pacific
Southwest
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2
3
Larval
stages
of
yellow
crab
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5
4
Relative
abundance
of
brown
rock
crab,
red
rock
crab,
and
yellow
crab
in
four
areas
of
the
Pacific
Southwest
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6
5
Annual
rock
crab
landings
in
California,
1964­
86
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.
9
6
Annual
rock
crab
catches
from
three
fishery
origin
blocks
inCalifomia,
1970­
85
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11
vi
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We
gratefully
acknowledge
the
reviews
of
this
manuscript
by
Paul
Reilly
and
David
Parker
of
the
California
Department
of
Fish
and
Game,
Jeffrey
Shields
of
the
University
of
California
at
Santa
Barbara,
and
Christopher
Toole
of
the
California
Sea
Grant
Marine
Advisory
Program.

vii
Figure
1.
Rock
crabs:
a)
brown
rock
crab
(
after
Rathbun
1930);
c)
yellow
crab
(
after
Johnson
and
Snook
1955).
b)
red
rock
crab
(
after
Rathbun
1930);

BROWN
ROCK
CRAB,
RED
ROCK
CRAB,
AND
YELLOW
CRAB
NOMENCLATURE/
TAXONOMY/
RANGE
Scientific
name.........
Cancer
antennarius
S
timpson
1856
Preferred
common
name.......
Brown
rock
crab
(
Figure
la)
Other
common
names............................
Rock
crab,
brown
crab,
red
rock
crab,
spot­
bellied
crab
Scientific
name...............
Cancer
productus
Randall
1839
Preferred
common
name...........
Red
rock
crab
(
Figure
1
b)
Other
common
names.........................
Rock
crab,
red
crab
Scientific
name................
Cancer
anthonyi
Rathbun
1897
Preferred
common
name..............
Yellow
crab
(
Figure
lc)
Other
common
names.......................
Rock
crab,
gold
crab
class
.
.
.
.
.
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.
Crustacea
Order.
.
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.
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.
Decapoda
Infraorder.
.
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.
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.
Brachyum
Family.
.
.
.
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.
.
.
Cancridae
Geographical
ranges
(
Figure
2):
rock
crabs
are
distributed
in
coastal
waters
of
the
west
coast
of
North
America
(
Nations
1975).
Cancer
antennarius
ranges
from
Sequim,
Washington
(
Jensen
and
Armstrong
1987),
to
Baja
California,
Mexico,
including
Islas
de
Todos
Santos
(
Schmidt
1921;
Garth
and
Abbott
1980).
Its
habitat
extends
from
the
low
intertidal
zone
to
depths
greater
than
100
m,
and
includes
substrates
of
1
a:;,
.
:..:
.
.
:..
.
.
.
.
ii
i
:'

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.
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:..:..'
:;
.
.
:...
.

f_'
.
.

J).
.
.

;::
.

::
.
.

:..
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.
.
­

V..'
.
:.'
.
.

II..
­",;~
tsay
i>
iureka
Y
2:
.
.
.
.
.
.
L
yf:....
IORTHWEST
­
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;
OUTHWEST
PACIFIC
OCEAN
i:.:

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jl\.
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***:
j
.._:.
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Montere)
­­­­_
­­­­

I
`\\`\

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0
50
100
miles
I
I
,0
100
200
kilometers
­.:.
*.....*

1
Bay
y:
.
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.:..
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:
.

i
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Monte
.::..
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a*.
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s;:.
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brey
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CALIFORNIA
wro
Bay
:
f.
.
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:.
*
.
a:&
Santa
Barbara
\

Channel
Hands
_,_
\
Red
rock
crab
Brown
rock
crab
Yellow
Figure
2.
Distribution
of
brown
rock
crab,
red
rock
crab,
and
yellow
crab
in
the
Pacific
Southwest.

2
rocky
shores,
subtidal
reefs,
and
coarse
to
silty
sands
(
Winn
1985).

Cancer
productus
occurs
from
Kodiak
Island,
Alaska,
to
San
Diego,
California
(
Schmidt
1921).
San
Diego
is
the
margin
of
the
southern
range
limit
though
the
species
has
been
reported
at
Bahia
Magdalena,
Baja
California,
Mexico
(
Garth
and
Abbott
1980).
The
habitat
of
the
red
rock
crab
extends
from
the
low
intertidal
zone,
including
bays
and
estuaries,
to
a
depth
of
at
least
91
m,
and
includes
gravel
and
rocky
substrates,
subtidal
reefs,
coarse
sands,
and
muds
(
Schmidt
1921).

Cancer
anthonyi
ranges
from
Humboldt
Bay,
California
(
Willis
1968)
to
Magdalena
Bay,
Baja
California,
Mexico
(
Schmidt
1921).
Its
habitat
extends
from
the
low
intertidal
zone,
including
bays
and
estuaries,
to
a
subtidal
depth
of
140
m;
it
inhabits
mostly
silty
sand
to
mud
substrates
and
the
sand­
rock
substrate
ecotone
of
rocky
reefs
(
Garth
and
Abbott
1980;
Winn
1985).

MORPHOLOGY/
IDENTIFICATION
AIDS
Taxonomic
keys
to
the
species
of
Cancer
in
California
were
provided
by
Carlton
and
Kuris
(
1975).
The
following
morphological
descriptions
are
adapted
from
Rathbun
(
1930).
All
Cancer
species
are
recognized
by
their
broad,
oval,
uneven
but
not
highly
sculptured
carapace
which
has
numerous
anterolateral
teeth.
Males
are
distinguished
by
a
slender
abdomen
and
mature
females
by
a
broad
abdomen
that
is
often
hirsute
on
the
margin.
Lawton
and
Elner
(
1985),
who
studied
the
morphological
relationships
of
10
northern
temperate
Cancer
species,
considered
the
brown
rock
crab,
red
rock
crab,
and
yellow
crab
closely
related
primarily
on
the
basis
of
similarities
in
claw
shape.

The
brown
rock
crab
is
mottled
dark
brown
dorsally
(
rarely
uniformly
orange
or
gray),
and
has
red
spotting
over
a
white
background
ventrally.
There
are
nine
anterolateral
teeth,
and
the
carapace
is
widest
at
the
eighth
tooth.
Characteristic
long
and
stout
paired
antennae
(
from
which
the
species
name
is
derived)
arise
between
the
retractable
stalked
eyes.
Legs
are
generally
rough
along
the
edges
and
may
be
hairy,
especially
in
females
and
juveniles.
The
claws
are
black
tipped
with
a
single
tooth
or
spine
on
the
wrist.

Adult
red
rock
crabs
are
mottled
brick­
red
dorsally,
and
dirty
white
or
yellowish
white
ventrally,
but
there
are
no
red
spots
such
as
those
on
the
brown
rock
crab.
The
carapace
is
widest
at
the
eighth
of
10
anterolateral
teeth;
the
teeth
become
larger
and
more
acute
posteriorly.
Red
rock
crabs
are
distinguished
from
other
Cancer
species
by
the
characteristic
frontal
margin
of
the
carapace
between
the
eyes
which
is
markedly
produced
as
five
equally­
spaced
teeth
beyond
the
orbital
angles
(
to
which
the
species
name
refers).
The
red
rock
crab
has
a
greater
carapace
width:
carapace
length
ratio
compared
to
that
of
brown
rock
crab
and
yellow
crab.
The
claws
are
rough
above
and
black
tipped.
Color
of
juveniles
is
often
extremely
variable
ranging
from
pure
white
to
a
variety
of
color
patterns
including
bands
of
brown
and
white,
stripes
of
red
and
white,
and
brown
stripes
(
Garth
and
Abbott
1980).
The
produced
frontal
margin
is
also
distinct
in
juvenile
crabs.

Adult
yellow
crabs
are
light
brown
to
pale
yellow
dorsally
and
uniformly
light
yellow
ventrally,
without
red
spotting
beneath.
The
carapace
is
widest
at
the
ninth
of
10
anterolateral
teeth.
The
tips
of
the
claws
are
partly
or
almost
entirely
darkened
and
the
walking
legs
are
generally
without
hair.
Coloration
of
juveniles
tends
to
be
darker
than
that
of
adults,
ranging
from
brown
to
gray.
Yellow
crabs
are
allied
to
the
brown
rock
crabs,
but
have
broader
and
less
projecting
anterolateral
teeth,
and
less
hairy
legs.

Two
other
large
Cancer
species,
the
Dungeness
crab
(
C.
mgister),
and
the
slender
crab
(
C.
grucilis)
also
occur
in
the
coastal
areas
of
California.
In
both
species
the
tips
of
the
claws
lack
dark
coloration.
The
Dungeness
crab
is
widest
at
the
10th
or
last
anterolateral
tooth
and
is
light
brown­
yellow
dorsally.
Additionally,
it
is
the
only
species
of
Cancer
in
which
the
tip
of
the
last
abdominal
segment
is
rounded
rather
than
pointed
(
P.
Reilly,
California
Department
of
Fish
and
Game
[
CDFGI,
Menlo
Park;
pers.
comm.).
The
slender
crab
has
a
light
olive
coloration,
slender
walking
legs,
and
only
nine
low
anterolateral
teeth.

A
small
species
of
Cancer
in
the
Pacific
southwest
region,
the
hairy
cancer
crab
(
C.
jordani),
may
be
confused
with
the
juvenile
brown
rock
crab.
The
hairy
3
cancer
crab,
however,
has
10
sharp
anterolateral
teeth,
alternately
large
and
small,
and
lacks
red
spotting
ventrally.

REASON
FOR
INCLUSION
IN
THE
SERIES
The
three
rock
crab
species
treated
here
contribute
to
a
commercial
fishery
that
has
grown
unevenly
but
steadily
from
1963
to
1986.
Rock
crabs
had
been
fished
previously
at
a
low
level
of
effort
since
at
least
1930
(
Heimann
and
Carlisle
1970).
Commercial
fishery
landings
statistics
of
CDFG
showed
that
annual
landings
in
the
mid­
1980'
s
approached
2
million
lb
with
an
ex­
vessel
value
exceeding
$
1.6
million.
Declines
in
the
stocks
of
other
commercially
important
nearshore
species
have
stimulated
interest
in
further
use
of
rock
crab
species;
continued
growth
of
the
fishery
is
expected
(
D.
Parker,
CDFG,
Long
Beach;
pers.
comm.).
The
three
species
also
support
a
small
recreational
fishery.

Rock
crabs
occupy
a
variety
of
coastal
habitats
and
are
an
ecologically
important
component
of
the
nearshore
environment.
As
juveniles,
they
are
important
prey
of
numerous
invertebrates
and
many
commercially
and
recreationally
important
fishes
(
Van
Blaricom
1982;
Roberts
et
al.
1984).
Adult
rock
crabs
are
a
major
food
of
the
threatened
southern
sea
otter
(
Enhydra
lutris)
along
the
central
California
coast
(
Benech
1986).

LIFE
HISTORY
Mating
Details
on
seasonal
and
regional
variability
in
mating
for
each
of
the
three
species
are
lacking,
although
a
generalized
description
of
reproduction
known
from
other
Cancer
species
may
be
reasonably
applied
(
see
Warner
1977).
The
female
mates
in
the
soft­
shell
condition,
after
molting.
Soft­
shell
female
rock
crabs
are
most
common
in
spring
and
fall,
though
they
may
be
found
throughout
the
year
(
Reilly
1987;
CDFG,
unpubl.
data).
A
pheromone
released
in
the
urine
of
females
before
they
molt
attracts
males
and
stimulates
mating
behavior.
Yellow
crabs
and
brown
rock
crabs
are
stimulated
to
pre­
copulatory
position
and
activity
by
pheromone
concentrations
as
low
as
10e8
moles/
l
and
lo­*'
moles/
l,
respectively
(
Kittredge
et
al.
1971).
The
male
carries
the
female,
before
her
ecdysis,
through
insemination,
and
until
initial
hardening
of
her
shell
occurs.
Mating
involves
insertion
of
the
male
gonopod
into
the
spermatheca
of
the
female
and
deposition
of
a
spermatophore.
Spermatophores
contain
sperm
that
is
potentially
viable
for
a
year
or
longer,
for
multiple
spawnings.
Mated
females
(
in
the
"
plugged"
condition)
may
be
identified
by
the
presence
of
the
hardened
spermatophore
deposited
in
the
spermatheca
by
the
male,
which
presumably
blocks
further
mating
and
prevents
loss
of
sperm.
Plugged
yellow
crabs
have
been
most
commonly
found
from
spring
to
early
summer
in
southern
California
(
CDFG,
unpubl.
data).
The
plug
is
ejected
during
the
first
oviposition;
multiple
ovipositions
may
occur
but
no
record
of
them
has
been
published.

Eggs
and
Fecundity
The
eggs
are
fertilized
internally
as
they
are
extruded,
about
11
weeks
after
the
mating,
and
are
carried
by
the
female
during
development.
They
appear
as
a
bright
orange
mass
("
sponge")
attached
to
setae
on
the
endopodites
of
the
pleopods,
beneath
the
abdominal
flap.
Egg­
bearing
("
berried"
or
"
ovigerous")
female
brown
rock
crabs
are
most
common
in
central
California
in
winter
(
Carroll
1982),
although
ovigerous
yellow
crabs
and
brown
rock
crabs
are
present
throughout
the
year
in
neat­
shore
waters
(
Toole
1985;
Winn
1985;
Reilly
1987).
Ovigerous
brown
rock
crabs
have
been
observed
buried
in
sand
at
the
base
of
rocks
in
shallow
water,
and
are
found
more
commonly
in
water
less
than
18
m
deep
in
southern
California
(
Reilly
1987).
The
color
of
the
eggs
progressively
darkens
from
orange
to
dark
brown
as
embryos
absorb
the
yolk
during
development.
A
single
egg
mass
in
brown
rock
crabs
may
contain
from
0.41
million
to
2.79
million
eggs,
red
rock
crabs
from
0.56
million
to
at
least
1.01
million
eggs,
and
yellow
crabs
from
0.68
to
3.85
million
eggs
(
A.
Hines,
Smithsonian
Environmental
Research
Center,
Edgewater,
MD;
pers.
comm.).
Clutch
size
in
the
yellow
crab
averages
over
2.6
million
eggs
(
J.
Shields,
University
of
California,
Santa
Barbara;
pers.
comm.).

In
brown
rock
crabs
and
yellow
crabs,
7­
8
weeks
are
required
for
development
and
hatching
of
eggs
at
ambient
temperatures
of
lo­
18
"
C
(
Anderson
and
Ford
1976;
Carroll
1982).
Yellow
crab
eggs
hatched
in
about
43
days
at
17
"
C
(
J.
Shields,
pers.
comm.).

4
Developmental
times
for
red
rock
crabs
are
not
available
in
the
literature.

Larvae
Larval
development
in
the
brown
rock
crab
was
described
by
Mir
(
1961)
and
Roesijadi
(
1976),
in
the
red
rock
crab
by
Trask
(
1970),
and
in
the
yellow
crab
by
Mir
(
1961)
and
Anderson
and
Ford
(
1976).
Development
is
similar
in
the
three
species.
Larvae
hatch
as
prezoeae
and
molt
to
first
stage
zoeae
in
less
than
1
h.
They
advance
through
six
stages
of
successive
increases
in
size­­
five
zoeal
and
one
megalopal
(
Figure
3).

Anderson
and
Ford
(
1976)
described
the
effects
of
temperature,
diet,
and
culture
systems
on
the
growth
and
survival
of
larval
and
juvenile
yellow
crab
reared
in
the
laboratory.
Average
larval
development
times
(
from
hatching
through
completion
of
the
megalopal
stage)
were
33
days
at
22
`
C
and
45
days
at
18
`
C.
There
are
no
data
in
the
literature
on
total
development
time
for
yellow
crabs
reared
at
cooler
ambient
temperatures.
For
red
rock
crabs,
development
time
to
the
megalopal
stage
was
97
days
at
11
`
C;
however,
none
of
the
larvae
survived
to
the
first
crab
instar
(
Trask
1970).
Total
development
time
for
Dungeness
crab
larvae
in
situ
was
estimated
to
be
80­
95
days
for
completion
of
the
five
zoeal
stages
and
25­
30
days
for
the
megalopal
stage
(
Reilly
1983).
Larval
development
time
in
the
Dungeness
crab
has
been
shown
to
be
inversely
related
to
water
temperature
(
Poole1966).

During
their
planktonic
existence,
crab
larvae
become
widely
distributed
over
the
continental
shelf.
Reilly
(
1983)
found
that,
in
central
California,
estuarine
runoff
and
upwelling
probably
dispersed
Dungeness
crab
zoeae
offshore,
and
the
northward
flowing
Davidson
current
dispersed
larvae
upcoast
in
winter.
Shanks
(
1986)
presented
evidence
that
early
stage
larvae
of
rock
crabs
generally
occurred
on
the
bottom,
or
in
depths
up
to
80
m,
during
the
day;
late
stage
larvae,
however,
were
more
abundant
near
the
surface.
He
suggested
that
a
combination
of
physical
factors,
primarily
wind­
generated
surface
currents
and
tidally
forced
internal
waves,
caused
megalopae
to
be
transported
shoreward
(
Shanks
1983).
Late
stage
larvae
generally
begin
to
recruit
to
the
nearshore
habitat
in
spring
(
Lough
1976;
Reilly
1983;
Winn
1985),
a
season
of
strong
onshore
sea
breezes
along
the
California
coast.
Densities
of
Cancer
spp.
zoeae
as
high
as
336/
m3
and
averaging
80/
m3
have
been
recorded
from
nearshore
waters
in
central
California
in
spring
(
B.
Russell,
TERA
Environmental,
Berkeley,
CA;
pers.
comm.).

Juveniles
Most
megalopae
molt
into
juveniles
(
first
crab
instars)
in
late
spring
or
summer
months
(
Winn
1985).
Despite
a
Figure
3.
Larval
stages
of
yellow
crab:
a)
stage
II
zoea;
b)
megalopa.

5
widespread
spatial
and
temporal
overlap
of
larval
distribution
in
coastal
waters,
certain
species­
specific
patterns
of
recruitment
vary
with
depth
and
substrate
(
Winn
1985).
In
southern
California
the
densities
of
juvenile
yellow
crabs
were
higher
than
those
of
the
other
two
species;
the
young
were
collected
almost
exclusively
from
sand
substrata
in
depths
less
than
33
m.
Juvenile
brown
rock
crabs,
which
had
a
more
generalized
pattern
of
substrate
and
depth
preference,
settled
on
both
rock
and
sand
substrata;
among
the
two
substrate
types
and
various
depths,
however,
their
densities
were
greatest
on
rock
substrata
that
were
at
13
m.
Red
rock
crabs
had
the
lowest
juvenile
densities
on
all
substrata.

In
central
California,
juvenile
brown
rock
crabs
and
red
rock
crabs
are
commonly
found
from
the
intertidal
zone
to
depths
exceeding
30
m,
and
in
summer
may
be
especially
common
in
shallow
stands
of
surfgrass
(
Phyllospadix
spp.)
along
the
open
coast,
or
partly
buried
in
sand
beneath
rocks.

100
80
60
n
 
BROWN
IROCK
Cf7AB
q
 
RED
ROCK
CRAB
0
YELLOW
CRAB
STUDY
SITE:
CARDIFF
LITTLE
COJO
BAY
DIABLO
CANYON
HUMBOLDT
BAY
SAN
DIEGO
CO.
SANTA
BARBARA
CO.
SAN
LUIS
OBISPO
CO.
HUMBOLDT
CO.

LATITUDE:
33"
O
1
`
N
34"
25'
N
35"
12'
N
40"
46'
N
REFERENCE:
Wmn
1985
Reilly
1987
Carroll
1982
Took
1985
Figure
4.
Relative
abundance
of
brown
rock
crab,
red
rock
crab,
and
yellow
crab
in
four
areas
of
the
Pacific
Southwest.
Adults
Detailed
information
on
adult
rock
crab
patterns
of
abundance,
depth,
substrate,
and
habitat
type
are
lacking
over
much
of
the
crabs'
ranges.
Generally,
rock
crabs
co­
occur
over
a
wide
range
of
nearshore
substrata
in
depths
less
than
55
m
at
the
interface
of
rock
and
sand
substrate
(
Winn
1985).
The
three
species,
however,
show
some
degree
of
distributional
segregation
according
to
substrate
type,
depth,
and
latitude
(
Figure
4).

Trapping
studies
in
southern
California
by
Winn
(
1985)
and
CDFG
(
unpubl.
data)
identified
the
habitats
and
relative
abundances
of
the
three
species
in
several
areas.
The
yellow
crab
was
the
most
prevalent
of
the
Cancer
species
on
the
extensive
sand
bottom
habitat
in
southern
California,
where
it
often
made
up
70%­
95%
of
the
total
crab
catches.
Toole
(
1985)
reported
that
only
1.5%
of
experimental
catches
of
rock
crab
in
Humboldt
Ray,
in
northern
California,
were
yellow
crabs.

Y
6
&
Humboldt
Bay
is
near
the
northern
limit
of
the
species'
range.
The
yellow
crab
lives
almost
exclusively
on
sandy
substrata;
consequently
the
"
rock
crab"
designation
is
somewhat
misleading
although
the
species
is
often
found
at
the
interface
of
rock
and
sand
habitats,
and
adjacent
to
artificial
reefs
(
Turner
et
al.
1969).
Adult
yellow
crabs
were
most
common
at
depths
of
18­
55
m.

The
brown
rock
crab
ranked
second
in
abundance
in
southern
California
and
was
most
abundant
in
traps
set
on
sand
adjacent
to
rocky
habitats,
or
on
extensive
rocky
reefs
at
depths
less
than
55
m.
In
samples
taken
along
a
depth
gradient
between
8
and
18
m,
relative
abundances
decreased,
proceeding
seaward,
for
brown
rock
crabs
and
increased
for
yellow
crabs
(
Reilly
1987).
Central
California,
north
of
Point
Conception,
appears
to
be
the
geographical
center
of
brown
rock
crab
distribution,
where
the
species
predominates
in
commercial
rock
crab
catches
(
S.
Meyer,
commercial
fisherman,
Morro
Bay,
CA;
pers.
comm.).

The
red
rock
crab
ranked
third
in
relative
abundance
in
southern
California
and
was
most
common
on
rocky
substrata
in
mixed
association
with
brown
rock
crabs.
There
is
a
trend
toward
markedly
reduced
abundance
of
the
red
rock
crab
in
the
southern
regions
of
California.
The
species
was
exceptionally
rare
in
catches
from
San
Diego
County
(
Winn
1985).
In
contrast,
red
rock
crabs
predominated
in
crab
catches
from
certain
areas
in
the
more
northern
extent
of
the
region,
and
especially
in
shallow
embayments
in
northern
California
(
Toole
1985).

Movements
The
few
tag­
and­
recapture
data
available
indicate
that
adult
rock
crabs
remain
fairly
close
inshore;
localized
movements
rarely
exceed
several
kilometers
from
their
release
sites
(
Carroll
1982;
Winn
1985).
From
a
total
of
over
17,000
tagged
crabs
released
and
nearly
2,000
recaptured
during
a
lo­
year
study
(
1976­
86)
in
central
California,
the
greatest
distances
traveled
by
brown
rock
crabs
were
less
than
8
km
over
an
8­
month
period
(
J.
Carroll,
unpubl.
data).
Toole
(
1985),
however,
reported
that
two
red
rock
crabs
moved
3.1
km
in
6­
10
days,
indicating
that
long­
distance
movements
occur
but
perhaps
have
not
been
detected
in
limited
experimental
trapping.
Boulding
and
Hay
(
1984),
who
attached
radio
tags
to
two
red
crabs
and
located
them
repeatedly
over
a
3­
week
period,
recorded
only
local
movements;
the
animals
often
remained
in
one
location
for
several
days.

Although
the
few
studies
thus
far
do
not
permit
verification
of
seasonal
migration
patterns,
the
occurrence
of
larger
numbers
of
female
brown
rock
crabs
and
red
rock
crabs
in
traps
during
fall
than
in
other
seasons
suggests
that
onshore­
offshore
movements
in
some
areas
may
be
related
to
annual
cycles
of
molting
and
mating
(
Selby
1980;
Carroll
1982).
Trap
placement
and
fishing
success
may
strongly
bias
the
interpretation
of
recapture
or
movement
data
(
Diamond
and
Hankin
1985).
Miller
(
1979),
who
studied
the
entry
of
red
rock
crabs
into
baited
traps,
concluded
that
trap
orientation
was
significantly
correlated
to
catch
per
unit
of
effort.
Crabs
were
more
likely
to
enter
a
trap
if
the
opening
was
perpendicular
to
prevailing
currents.

GROWTH
CHARACTERISTICS
Growth
in
rock
crabs,
as
in
all
crustaceans,
progresses
as
a
step
function
through
a
series
of
molts.
In
brown
rock
crabs
the
maximum
carapace
width
is
at
least
155
mm
in
males
(
measured
at
the
widest
point
on
carapace,
excluding
the
anterolateml
spines)
but
does
not
exceed
145
mm
in
females
(
Carroll
1982).
Red
rock
crabs
are
the
largest
of
the
three
species
treated
here;
maximum
carapace
widths
are
190
mm
in
males
and
168
mm
in
females,
respectively
(
CDFG,
unpubl.
data).
Maximum
carapace
width
in
yellow
crabs
is
165
mm
for
males
and
148
mm
for
females
(
CDFG,
unpubl.
data).
Longevity
has
been
estimated
to
be
about
5­
6
years
for
brown
rock
crabs
(
Carroll
1982).

Incremental
increases
per
molt
of
7%­
26%
in
width
and
50%­
70%
in
body
weight
have
been
measured
in
adult
brown
rock
crabs
in
field
growth
studies
(
Carroll
1982;
C.
Toole,
California
Sea
Grant,
Foot
of
Commercial
Street,
Eureka;
pers.
comm.);
the
width
and
weight
increases
are
proportionately
greater
in
smaller
crabs
(
Carroll
1982).
Size
increases
are
slightly
greater
in
males
than
in
females.
A
similar
pattern
was
identified
in
a
field
study
of
growth
in
yellow
crabs
that
were
tagged
and
subsequently
molted
while
at
liberty
(
CDFG,
unpubl.
data).
Presumably
more
energy
is
allocated
by
females
than
males
to
reproductive
output,
and
less
to
somatic
growth.

7
In
brown
rock
crabs,
size
difference
in
claws
is
a
sexually
dimorphic
characteristic
that
occurs
at
the
pubescent
molt,
males
attaining
larger
claws
than
females
(
Carroll
1982).
Unsexed
juveniles
had
a
constant
ratio
of
claw
height
to
carapace
width
up
to
a
width
of
65
mm.
Beyond
this
size,
the
ratios
in
males
and
females
diverged
from
juvenile
proportions.
Discontinuities
in
growth
rates
of
appendages
were
more
distinct
in
males
than
in
females.

Anderson
and
Ford
(
1976)
reared
yellow
crabs
in
laboratory
aquaria
from
the
larval
stages
to
sexual
maturity.
Crabs
grew
significantly
faster
at
22
"
C
than
at
16
"
C,
but
were
larger
at
each
instar
in
the
16
"
C
experimental
treatment.
One
13th
instar
female
crab
reared
at
22
`
C
became
sexually
mature
when
carapace
width
was
98
mm,
400
days
after
hatching.
Sexually
mature
yellow
crabs
as
small
as
85
mm
have
been
collected
in
the
field,
however,
a
size
which
corresponds
to
the
11th
or
12th
instar
(
Anderson
and
Ford
1976).
The
approximate
growth
curves
of
brown
rock
crabs
indicate
that
the
pubertal
molt
is
at
a
carapace
width
of
60­
80
mm,
or
within
the
10th
to
12th
instar,
and
at
an
age
of
about
18­
24
months
(
Carroll
1982).
No
comparable
growth
estimates
have
been
published
for
red
rock
crabs.

Molting
appears
to
occur
most
frequently
in
rock
crabs
during
fall
and
early
winter,
although
it
may
occur
throughout
the
year
(
Selby
1980;
CDFG,
unpubl.
data).
Brown
rock
crabs
in
the
80­
105
mm
size
range
may
have
a
5­
8
month
interval
between
molts,
whereas
large
crabs
(~
135
mm)
have
a
12­
16
month
intermolt
period
(
Carroll
1982).
The
lengthening
of
the
successive
intermolt
periods
is
a
general
feature
of
many
decapods
(
Passano
1960)
and
has
been
documented
in
other
Cancer
species
(
Butler
1961;
Hancock
and
Edwards
1967;
Anderson
and
Ford
1976).
Benthic
fishes
are
major
predators
on
juvenile
rock
crabs;
among
the
many
that
are
known
are
scorpionfish
(
Scorpaena
gutruta),
cabezon
(
Scorpaenichthys
marmoratus),
barred
sand
bass,
and
several
species
of
rockfishes
(
Turner
et
al.
1969;
Roberts
et
al.
1984;
Love
et
al.
1987).
The
sand
star
Astropecten
verilli
has
been
identified
as
a
major
invertebrate
predator
on
juvenile
yellow
crabs
(
Van
Blaricom
1982).
Larger
crabs
eventually
attain
a
size
large
enough
to
preclude
predation
by
most
fishes,
except
when
the
shell
is
soft,
just
after
molting.
Rock
crabs
may
fall
prey
to
southern
sea
otters
(
Benech
1986)
which
ranged
in
the
mid­
1980'
s
from
Ano
Nuevo
Island,
San
Mateo
County,
south
to
Point
Conception,
California.
Rock
crabs
are
also
the
preferred
prey
of
octopuses
in
southern
California
(
Ambrose
1984),
and
have
been
found
in
the
gut
of
bottom­
foraging
sharks
in
Elkhom
Slough,
central
California
(
Talent
1982).
Spaziani
et
al.
(
1981)
were
able
to
accurately
classify
stages
of
the
molting
cycle
(
i.
e.,
premolt,
intermolt,
postmolt)
in
brown
rock
crabs
by
measuring
various
characteristics
of
shell
composition
and
blood
chemistry.
Female
rock
crabs
can
also
be
staged
by
examining
the
pleopod
tips
(
P.
Reilly,
pers.
comm.).
The
specific
hormonal
mechanisms
that
control
molting
cycles
in
brown
rock
crabs
and
yellow
crabs
have
also
been
elucidated
(
McConaugha
1977;
Hinsch
et
al.
1980;
Spaziani
et
al.
1982).
Krekorian
et
al.
(
1974),
who
studied
behavioral
interactions
between
brown
rock
crabs
and
California
spiny
lobsters
(
Panulirus
interruptus)
in
laboratory
experiments,
concluded
that
the
generally
non­
aggressive
ECOLOGICAL
ROLE
Rock
crabs
as
a
group
are
both
scavengers
and
\
predators,
feeding
on
a
wide
variety
of
snails,
clams,
echinoderms,
and
crustaceans.
Powerful
crusher
claws
enable
adult
crabs
to
eat
thick­
shelled
snails
(
Fotheringham
1971;
Geller
1982);
cockles,
Protothaca
staminea
(
Boulding
1984;
Boulding
and
LaBarbera
1986);
barnacles
and
hermit
crabs
(
Ricketts
et
al.
1985);
abalone,
Haliotis
spp.
(
Schiel
and
Welden
1987);
and
a
variety
of
thin­
shelled
infaunal
and
epifaunal
species
(
Petersen
1983).
Cannibalism,
as
observed
in
Dungeness
crabs
(
Gotshall
1977),
may
also
occur
within
the
three
species.
Rock
crabs
are
extremely
sensitive
to
the
scent
of
potential
food
in
the
water
(
Case
1964;
Zimmer­
Faust
and
Case
1982)
and
can
detect
amino
acid
concentrations
as
low
as
lo­"
moles/
l
(
Fuzessery
and
Childress
1975).

Larval
red
crabs
have
been
observed
in
laboratory
cultures
feeding
on
barnacle
nauplii
and
sea
urchin
larvae,
indicating
that
they
are
active
planktivores
(
Rumrill
et
al.
1985).
Yellow
crab
larvae,
however,
have
been
successfully
reared
on
a
mixture
of
dinoflagellates
and
diatoms,
suggesting
that
they
are
feeding
generalists
during
their
planktonic
existence
(
McConaugha
1985).

8
fb
behaviors
observed
during
interspecific
encounters
were
adaptations
to
sharing
the
same
refuges
in
the
natural
habitat.

The
polychaete
worm
Iphitime
holobranchiata
infests
the
gills
of
brown
rock
crabs
and
can
be
potentially
detrimental
to
its
host
(
Pilger
1971).
The
nemertean
egg
predator
Carcinonemertes
epialti
often
occurs
in
the
egg
masses
of
rock
crabs
(
Wickham
and
Kuris
1985).
Further
information
on
the
ecological
role
of
each
rock
crab
species
is
presented
in
the
life
history
section.

THE
FISHERY
Commercial
Harvest
Rock
crabs
have
historically
supported
only
a
relatively
minor
fishery
in
California,
particularly
when
compared
with
the
fishery
of
the
Dungeness
crab.
The
rock
crab
fishery
has
grown
steadily
since
landings
of
about
20,000
lb
were
reported
in
1950
(
Heimann
and
Carlisle
1970).
AMU~
landings
exceeded
1.2
million
lb
in
1976
and
approached
2
million
lb
in
1986
(
Figure
5).

s
The
three
species
are
harvested
commercially
throughout
the
Pacific
Southwest
region,
from
the
ports
of
Eureka,
northern
California,
to
San
Diego,
southern
California;
the
highest
landing
totals
are
generally
recorded
from
the
Santa
Barbara­
Los
Angeles
area
(
Table
I).
The
south
central
California
fishery,
however,

YEAR
Figure
5.
Annual
rock
crab
landings
in
California,
1964­
86
(
CDFG,
unpubl.
data).
expanded
into
previously
unfished
areas
north
of
Point
Conception
during
the
early
1980'
s
and
contributed
an
increasing
share
of
the
total
California
landings.
Lower
relative
fishing
effort
out
of
some
ports
in
the
central
and
northern
California
regions,
rather
than
the
paucity
of
crabs,
is
probably
responsible
for
the
lower
landing
totals
from
these
ports.
The
extensive
fishing
effort
expended
preferentially
on
the
Dungeness
crab
also
contributes
to
the
lower
relative
landing
totals
for
these
three
species
north
of
Morro
Bay.
In
the
mid­
1980'
s,
rock
crabs
were
trapped
in
Washington
and
Oregon
and
shipped
to
California
for
sale,
presumably
because
the
selling
price
was
higher
there.

The
harvest
on
the
species­
by­
species
basis
has
been
difficult
to
assess
because
the
statistics
have
been
combined
in
the
general
"
rock
crab"
category.
Although
this
practice
simplifies
many
aspects
of
marketing
and
management
as
a
single
species
fishery,
the
nonspecific
statistics
thwart
an
understanding
of
the
relation
between
available
stocks
and
landings
of
the
individual
species.

Commercial
landings
show
no
well­
defined
trends
in
seasonal
crab
abundance.
Monthly
landing
totals
may
be
a
misleading
indicator
of
seasonal
abundance
because
total
fishing
effort
varies
and
marketable
crab
size
may
fluctuate
with
consumer
demand
(
S.
Meyer,
pers.
comm.).
Experimental
trapping
studies,
however,
indicate
a
trend
toward
the
catches
being
highest
in
fall
and
lowest
in
summer.
This
pattern
of
increased
seasonal
abundance
has
been
noted
for
red
rock
crabs
in
Coos
Bay,
Oregon
(
Selby
1980),
and
in
Humboldt
Bay,
northern
California
(
C.
Toole,
unpubl.
data),
and
for
brown
rock
crabs
in
central
California
(
Carroll
1982).
Higher
catches
in
central
California
were
positively
correlated
with
annual
maximum
water
temperatures
and
an
increased
proportion
of
female
crabs
in
the
catches.

Recreational
Harvest
Accurate
data
on
the
sport
fishery
for
rock
crabs
are
lacking.
The
crabs
are
taken
mainly
in
small
numbers
with
baited
hoop
nets
near
piers
and
jetties,
and
by
hand
by
sport
divers.
This
harvest
is
insignificant
compared
with
the
total
commercial
harvest
(
D.
Parker,
pers.
comm.).
In
California,
the
sport
catch
limit
on
all
Cancer
species
in
combination
(
excluding
the
Dungeness
crab)
is
35
crabs
per
day,
and
the
minimum
legal
carapace
width
is
4
inches.

9
Table
1.
Percent
contribution
to
total
annual
rock
crab
landings
by
California
fisheries
origin
blocks,
1965­
85
&
(
CDFG,
unpubl.
data).

Year
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
Average
196.5­
75
San
Diego/
Los
Angeles/
Orange
Santa
Barbara
Morro
Bay
Monterey
Eureka/
San
Crescent
Francisco
City
2.3
95.2
2.4
5.7
91.2
3.0
3.4
95.6
0.8
2.3
92.8
4.7
17.7
55.7
25.6
42.3
41.7
15.5
42.9
49.2
7.5
45.8
45.0
8.8
41.6
46.2
11.8
45.6
41.1
13.2
19.3
51.9
28.7
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.2
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
24.4
64.1
11.2
0.1
0.2
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
Average
1976­
85
21.2
58.0
20.8
19.5
52.3
27.8
10.5
38.4
49.8
13.3
65.9
19.2
14.2
71.4
12.7
23.2
54.9
21.0
17.7
55.5
24.7
19.3
49.7
28.3
11.2
40.8
43.8
7.7
29.5
58.3
15.8
51.6
30.6
0.2
0.9
0.9
0.1
0.1
0.3
0.1
1.0
0.1
0.8
0.9
0.2
0.7
1.2
1.9
1.6
1.7
0.3
0.4
0.7
1.5
0.2
0.6
0.7
1.6
2.6
Factors
Affecting
Commercial
Landings
The
variability
in
the
harvest
of
crabs
in
southern
California
has
been
historically
linked
to
the
changing
success
of
other
commercial
fisheries
(
Winn
1985).
In
particular,
the
rock
crab
fishery
is
closely
associated
with
the
California
commercial
fishery
for
spiny
lobsters,
in
terms
of
seasonal
effort,
gear,
and
methods.
Fishermen
can
easily
switch
to
trapping
crabs
in
the
"
off­
season"
or
when
catches
of
lobsters
are
low.
Lobster
gear
has
been
widely
used
for
harvesting
crabs.

In
the
mid­
1980'
s,
a
controversy
developed
regarding
trap
design
and
crab
size
limits,
due
to
the
elimination
of
the
size
limit
of
4
inches
in
carapace
width
from
the
California
Fish
and
Game
Code.
Many
fishermen
subsequently
used
a
more
efficient
small­
mesh
trap
design
(
1
x
2
inch
mesh)
that
resulted
in
catches
composed
of
higher
relative
numbers
of
females
and
subadults.

Mean
size
comparisons
from
trapping
studies
in
Santa
Monica
Bay,
which
has
been
closed
to
commercial
fishing,
indicated
a
significantly
larger
overall
size
distribution
there
than
in
adjacent
sites
open
to
fishing
(
CDFG,
unpubl.
data).
Similarly,
in
Humboldt
Bay,
crabs
were
significantly
smaller
where
oyster
growers
trapped
large
numbers
of
crabs
(
to
curb
predation
on
10
oyster
seed)
than
in
adjacent
areas
where
crab
fishing
was
less
intense
(
C.
Toole,
pets.
comm.).
Cumulative
impacts
by
the
fishery
would
thus
be
seen
as
reduced
overall
catches,
greater
percentages
of
females,
and
smaller
size
classes.
Fishermen
have
also
found
a
high
demand
for
egg­
bearing
females
in
some
markets
(
W.
Hall,
commercial
fisherman,
Long
Beach,
CA;
pers.
comm.)­­
a
demand
that
could
result
in
a
significant
negative
impact
on
the
stocks.

The
exploitation
of
relatively
localized
areas
can
be
assessed
by
following
catch
statistics
within
specific
fishery
blocks
over
several
years
(
Figure
6).
These
statistics
do
not
include
the
number
of
boats
fishing
or
number
of
traps
per
boat,
and
thus
do
not
allow
comparison
on
the
basis
of
catch
per
unit
of
effort.
Also,
changes
in
reporting
requirements
since
1983
have
resulted
in
increased
use
of
port
of
landing
rather
than
specific
fishery
blocks,
resulting
in
an
apparent
catch
decrease
in
some
blocks
(
D.
Parker,
pers.
comm.).
Nevertheless,
the
data
illustrate
the
decline
of
crab
catches
in
an
easily
accessible
area
near
a
major
port
of
landing
(
Long
Beach),
and
the
more
recent
exploitation
of
two
areas
(
Point
Conception
and
Point
Purisma),

&
which
are
less
accessible
to
major
ports
of
landing
(
Santa
Barbara
and
Port
San
Luis,
respectively).
This
evidence,
coupled
with
the
observation
that
rock
crabs
generally
do
not
move
long
distances,
suggests
that
overfishing
has
occurred
in
certain
areas,
despite
a
long­
term
increase
in
total
statewide
landings.

Point
Purisma­­
Block
637
Point
Conception­­
Block
657
Long
Beach­­
Block
739
Figure
6.
Annual
rock
crab
catches
from
three
fsheries
origin
blocks
in
California,
1970­
85
(
CDFG,
unpubl.
data).
A
fishery
based
on
the
sale
of
claws
only
has
been
largely
replaced
by
that
of
whole
crabs
in
recent
years,
although
claws
remain
a
specialty
item
in
many
markets.
The
claws
are
taken
from
dead
or
dying
crabs
at
the
markets,
and
by
fishermen
who
remove
claws
and
return
the
de­
clawed
crab
to
the
sea.
Apparently,
it
is
a
common
belief
that,
because
crabs
regenerate
lost
limbs,
the
practice
of
claw
removal
at
sea
contributes
to
the
renewal
of
the
resource.
Avoidance
of
mortality,
however,
requires
a
clean
separation
at
the
fracture
plane,
which
is
difficult
to
obtain
without
damaging
the
body.
In
addition,
regeneration
of
full­
sized
claws
takes
two
to
three
molts
(
up
to
two
years
for
large
adult
crabs).
A
claw
fishery
alone,
nevertheless,
results
in
less
overall
mortality
than
a
whole­
crab
fishery.

Mortality
from
handling,
transportation,
and
continued
fishing
of
lost
traps
also
occurs
(
Winn
1985),
but
there
am
no
reliable
estimates
of
the
magnitude
of
these
additional
factors.

ENVIRONMENTAL
REQUIREMENTS
In
a
study
of
survival
and
recruitment
of
Cancer
spp.

larvae
off
southern
California,
Shanks
(
1986)
showed
that
prevailing
current
patterns
influenced
the
onshore
and
offshore
drift
of
larvae,
and
was
critical
in
determining
successful
nearshore
settlement.
Winn
(
1985),
who
conducted
field
experiments
to
determine
preferred
substrate
types
of
newly
settling
rock
crab
larvae
in
southern
California,
observed
that
first
crab
instar
yellow
crabs
were
most
abundant
on
sand
and
least
abundant
on
rock
substrates,
and
that
brown
rock
crabs
were
equally
abundant
on
both
substrate
types;
recently
settled
red
rock
crabs
were
too
scarce
to
provide
conclusive
results.

Anderson
and
Ford
(
1976)
found
that
a
temperature
increase
of
about
4
"
C
significantly
accelerated
the
rate
of
larval
development
of
yellow
crabs
reared
in
the
laboratory.
The
average
duration
of
each
instar
was
longer
at
18
"
C
than
at
22
"
C,
resulting
in
an
average
total
development
time
of
45
days
at
18
"
C
but
only
33
days
at
22
"
C.

In
laboratory
thermal
tolerance
studies
on
brown
rock
crabs,
mortality
was
100%
in
adult
crabs
exposed
for
1
h
to
acute
temperatures
above
3
1.1
"
C,
and
nil
in
crabs
11
similarly
exposed
to
29.2
"
C
(
Pacific
Gas
and
Electric
Company
1982).
Chronic
exposure
(
96
h)
of
crabs
to
several
test
temperatures
yielded
a
median
effective
50%
mortality
at
a
theoretical
value
of
25.4
"
C.
Although
such
temperatures
are
unlikely
along
the
open
coast
in
California,
they
sometimes
occur
near
the
cooling
water
discharges
of
coastal
power
plants.
Adams
(
1970)
observed
both
juvenile
and
adult
brown
rock
crabs
in
the
discharge
canal
of
the
Morro
Bay
(
California)
Power
Plant,
where
temperatures
exceeded
26
"
C.

Fishermen
commonly
hold
crabs
in
submerged
receivers
for
several
days
before
transporting
them
to
market.
Losses
of
penned
crabs
may
be
up
to
30%­
40%
during
summer
and
fall,
when
water
temperatures
approach
20
`
C
(
Winn
1985).
Crabs
missing
limbs
or
in
soft­
shell
condition
are
especially
susceptible
to
warmer
temperatures
(
S.
Meyer,
pers.
comm.).
Mortality
can
sometimes
be
reduced
by
lowering
the
receivers
into
cooler
bottom
water.

Juvenile
red
rock
and
brown
rock
crabs
are
common
in
the
intertidal
zone,
where
they
may
be
exposed
to
the
air
daily
for
several
hours
(
Ricketts
et
al.
1985).
Mortality
is
unlikely,
however,
provided
they
are
shaded
from
direct
sunlight
beneath
algae,
or
protected
in
rock
crevices.
3rr
Selby
(
1980)
found
that
the
distribution
and
abundance
of
red
rock
crabs
in
Coos
Bay,
Oregon,
was
correlated
with
changes
in
salinity;
because
red
rock
crabs
are
osmoconformers,
survival
was
low
at
salinities
below
13.1
ppt.
No
tolerance
levels
have
been
established
for
the
larval
life
history
stages
of
rock
crabs,
but
Buchanan
and
Milleman
(
1969)
found
that
low
salinities
impaired
the
molting
process
in
larvae
of
the
closely
related
Dungeness
crab.

Toxicities
of
11
metals
found
in
drilling
muds
to
embryos
and
prezoeae
of
the
yellow
crab
have
been
measured.
The
distribution
of
this
crab
overlaps
significantly
with
current
and
planned
offshore
oil
drilling
and
production
platforms.
Lethal
concentrations
to
embryos
after
7
days
were
1
fl
of
iron
or
barium
(
sulfate),
two
of
the
most
common
contaminants.
Increased
mortality
of
embryos
resulted
from
longer
exposure.
Exposure
of
embryos
to
chromium
VI,
copper,
or
zinc
actually
protected
zoeae
from
those
metals,
possibly
as
a
result
of
induction
of
biochemical
pathways
of
metal
inactivation
(
MacDonald
et
al.
1988).
V
12
LITERATURE
CITED
Adams,
J.
R.
1970.
Marine
life
in
the
Morro
Bay
Power
Plant
discharge
canal,
California.
Pacific
Gas
and
Electric
Company,
San
Francisco,
Calif.
37
pp.

Anderson,
W.
R.,
and
R.
F.
Ford.
1976.
Early
development
growth
and
survival
of
the
yellow
crab
Cancer
,
anthonyi
Rathbun
(
Decapoda,
Brachyura)
in
the
laboratory.
Aquaculture
7:
267­
279.

Ambrose,
R.
F.
1984.
Food
preferences,
prey
availability
and
diet
of
Octopus
bimaculatus
Verrill.
J.
Exp.
Mar.
Biol.
Ecol.
77:
29­
44.

Benech,
S.
V.
1986.
Observations
of
the
southern
sea
otter
Enhydru
lutris
population
between
Point
Buchon
&
and
Rattlesnake
Creek,
San
Luis
Obispo,
Califomia­­
January
through
December
1985.
In
D.
W.
Behrens
and
C.
O.
White,
eds.
Environmental
investigations
at
Diablo
Canyon,
1985.
Pacific
Gas
and
Electric
Company,
San
Ramon,
Calif.

Boulding,
E.
G.
1984.
Crab­
resistant
features
of
shells
of
burrowing
bivalves:
decreasing
vulnerability
by
increasing
handling
time.
J.
Exp.
Mar.
Biol.
Ecol.
76:
201­
223.

Boulding,
E.
G.,
and
T.
K.
Hay.
1984.
Crab
response
to
clam
density
can
result
in
density­
dependent
mortality
of
clams.
Can.
J.
Fish.
Aquat.
Sci.
41:
521­
525.

Boulding,
E.
G.,
and
M.
LaBarbem.
1986.
Fatigue
damage:
repeated
loading
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&
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yellow
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Cancer
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Kellet's
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Kelletia
keffetii,
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the
vicinity
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Little
Cojo
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Santa
Barbara
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Ricketts,
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Roberts,
D.
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E.
E.
DeMartini,
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1984.
The
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of
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small
adult
barred
sand
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in
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northern
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1976.
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31:
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Rumrill,
S.
S.,
J.
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Pennington,
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F.
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1985.
Differential
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of
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invertebrate
larvae:
laboratory
predation
of
sand
dollar,
Dendruster
excentricus
@
schscholtz)
embryos
and
larvae
by
zoeae
of
the
red
crab,
Cancer
productus
Randall.
J.
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Mar.
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D.
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1987.
Responses
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and
wild
red
abalone,
Huliotis
rufescens,
in
laboratory
experiments.
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60:
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Schmidt,
W.
L.
1921.
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Univ.
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Selby,
R.
S.
1980.
Some
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the
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Cancer
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M.
S.
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University
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96
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Shanks,
A.
L.
1983.
Surface
slicks
associated
with
tidally
forced
internal
waves
may
transport
pelagic
larvae
of
benthic
invertebrates
and
fishes
shoreward.
Mar.
Ecol.
Prog.
Ser.
13:
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315.

Shanks,
A.
L.
1986.
Vertical
migration
and
cross­
shelf
dispersal
of
larval
Cancer
spp.
and
Randallia
ornata
(
Crustacea:
Brachyura)
off
the
coast
of
southern
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Mar.
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1981.
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of
the
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computer­
aided
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J.
Exp.
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Spaziani,
E.,
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Ostedgaard,
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P.
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1982.
Effects
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removal
in
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J.
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221:
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327.

Talent,
L.
G.
1982.
Food
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of
the
gray
smcothhound
Mustelus
henlei,
the
shovelnose
guitarfish,
Rhinobatis
productus,
and
the
bat
ray,
Myliobatis
californica
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Elkhom
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Calif.
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C.
L.
1985.
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T.
1970.
A
description
of
laboratory­
reared
larvae
of
C.
productus
and
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to
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of
C.
mugister.
Crustaceana
18:
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147.

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E.
E.
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b
15
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Experimental
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M.
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Northern
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yellow
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54:
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Cancer
anthonyi,
C.
antennarius
and
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subtidal
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in
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London.
202
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Ph.
D.
Dissertation.
University
of
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California,
Los
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235
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Faust,
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1982.
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Wickham,
D.
E.,
and
A.
M.
Kuris.
1985.
The
comparative
encing
foraging
behavior
of
the
California
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Am.
Zool.
lobster,
Panulirus
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25:
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134.
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Mar.
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9:
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58.

16
5­
50272­
101
1v
REPORT
DOCUMENTATION
1.
REPORT
NO.
2
PAGE
Biological
Report
82(
11.117)*
4.
Title
and
SuMMa
Species
Profiles:
Life
Histories
and
Environmental
Requirements
of
Coastal
Fishes
and
Invertebrates
(
Pacific
Southwest)­­
Brown
Rock
Crab,
Red
Rock
Crab
and
Yellow
Crab
7.
Author@!
Jay
C.
Carrolla
and
Richard
N.
Winnb
3.
Recipient's
Accession
No.

5.
Ftepatrlate
December
1989
6.

a
Performing
Organization
Rept.
No.

9.
Performing
Organiution
Name
and
Addreu
%
NERA
Environmental
1995
University
Avenue
Berkeley,
CA
94704
12.
Sponsoring
Organhation
Name
and
Addm­

U.
S.
Department
of
the
Interior
Fish
and
Wildlife
Service
Research
and
Development
National
Wetlands
Research
Center
Washington,
DC
20240
15.
Supplementary
Notes
bSouth
Carolina
Wildlife
and
Marine
Resources
Department
p.
0.
Box
12559
Charleston,
SC
29412
U.
S.
Army
Corps
of
Engineers
Waterways
Experiment
Station
Coastal
Ecology
Group
PO.
Box
631
Vicksburg,
MS
39180
10.
Proi.%
tfkskWork
Unit
No.

H.
Contract(
c)
or
Grant(
G)
No.
(
C)
(
G)

13.
Type
cl,
Report
h
Period
covered
14.

*
U.
S.
Army
Corps
of
Engineers
Report
No.
TR
EL­
82­
4.

Species
profiles
are
literature
summaries
of
the
taxonomy,
morphology,
distribution,
life
history,
habitats,
and
environmental
requirements
of
coastal
species
of
fishes
and
aquatic
invertebrates.
They
are
designed
to
assist
in
environmental
impact
assessment.
"
Rock
crab"
is
the
common
name
designating
three
similar
species
of
edible
crabs:
brown
rock
crab
(
Cancer
antennarius),
red
rock
crab
(
C.
productus),
and
yellow
crab
(
C.
anthonyi).
The
three
species
co­
occur
in
shallow
coastal
waters
throughout
the
Pacific
Southwest
region.
The
yellow
crab
is
most
common
in
southern
California
on
sand
substrate,
and
the
red
rock
crab
in
northernmost
areas
on
rock
or
gravel
substrates;
the
brown
rock
crab
occurs
on
rock
or
sand
substrates
in
all
areas.
Rock
crabs
are
sought
commercially
to
fill
an
increasing
market
demand
for
whole
crabs
that
approached
2
million
pounds
annually
in
1986.
Most
of
the
catch
comes
from
the
region
of
Morro
Bay
south
to
Los
Angeles,
including
the
Channel
Islands.
Egg­
bearing
females
are
commonly
found
during
winter,
although
they
may
occur
throughout
the
year.
Rock
crabs
go
through
live
zoeal
stages
and
one
megalopal
stage
during
a
larval
period
that
generally
requires
90­
120
days.
Metamorphosis
and
settlement
of
the
first
crab
stage
is
on
either
sand
or
rock,
and
crabs
may
reach
maturity
within
l­
2
years.
All
three
species
are
predators
on
a
variety
of
shelled
mollusks,
but
are
also
considered
scavengers.
They
are
a
major
food
for
many
commercially
and
recreationally
important
fishes,
as
well
as
for
the
threatened
southern
sea
otter,
Enhydru
lutris.

17.
Document
Analysis
a.
Deacriptom
Fisheries
Feeding
habits
Growth
b
ldentWiewGpen.
Ended
&
mm
Rock
crab
Cancer
untennurius
Cancer
productus
Cancer
unthonyi
c.
CoSAll
Field/
Group
13.
Awilabilhy
Statement
Unlimited
distribution
Temperature
Crabs
Life
cycles
Ecological
role
Habitat
requirements
~
g.
Security
CIau
(
Thh
Report)

Unclassified
20.
Security
CIasa
(
This
Page)

Unclassified
n.
No.
OfPagea
vi+
16
33.
Price
88
ANSI­
239.19)
OPTIONAL
FORM
272
(
4.77)
(
Formerly
NTIS­
35)
Department
of
Commerce
As
the
Nation's
principal
conservation
agency,
the
Department
of
the
Interior
has
responsibility
for
most
of
our
nationally
owned
public
lands
and
natural
resources.
This
includes
fostering
the
wisest
use
of
our
land
and
water
resources,
protecting
our
fish
and
wildlife,
p,
reserving.
theenvironmental
and
cultural
values
of
our
national
parks
and
historical
places,
and
providing
for
the
enjoyment
of
life
through
outdoor
recreation.
The
Department
assesses
our
energy
and
mineral
resources
and
works
to
assure
that
their
development
is
in
the
best
interests
of
all
our
people.
The
Department
also
has
a
major
responsibility
for
American
Indian
reservation
communities
and
for
people
who
live
in
island
territories
under
U.
S.
administration.

U.
S.
DEPARTMENT
OF
THE
INTERIOR
FISH
AND
WILDLIFE
SERVICE
TAKE
PRIDE
in
America
UN
ITED
STATES
DEPARTMENT
OF
THE
INTERIOR
FISH
AND
WILDLIFE
SERVICE
National
Wetlands
Research
Center
NASA­
Slide11
Computer
Complex
1010
Gause
Boulevard
Slidell,
LA
70458