Growth and claw regeneration of the stone crab, Menippe mercenaria

摘要

Savage, T. and J.R. Sullivan. 1978. Growth and Claw Regeneration of the Stone Crab,udMenippe mercenaria. Fla. Mar. Res. Publ. No. 32.23 pp. Laboratory-maintained and feraludcrabs were observed for incremental carapace width and major and minor claw growth.udMorphometric relationships for male and female carapace width against length andudcarapace width against major and minor claw sizes were derived. Only slopes of carapaceudwidth us. female major and male minor claws were not significantly different at the 95%udconfidence level. Feral normal male incremental growth exceeded that of normal femalesudfor all parameters. Normal laboratory females possessed greater average carapace widthudgrowth but less claw growth than did their male counterparts. All laboratory growth wasudmore uniform but incrementally smaller than corresponding field growth. A hypotheticaludgrowth plot constructed from incremental growth of several crabs indicated ages atudattainment of sexual maturity and legal size to be 10 and 30 months. A pictorial descriptionudof stone crab claw regeneration is presented. Minor claws realized greater regenerationudafter one and two molts (73.5% and 96.5% of pre-autotomized sizes) than did major clawsud(68.6% and 89.0%). Intermolt interval of laboratory crabs increased with larger carapaceudwidth sizes. Claw loss shortened or lengthened duration of the intermolt period dependingudupon whether the claw was removed shortly after a molt or later in the cycle. (Document has 27 pages.)