THE SPINY LOBSTER, Panulirus argus, OF SOUTHERN 

 FLORIDA: ITS NATURAL HISTORY AND UTILIZATION. 



By 

 D. R. CRAWFORD, Assistant, U. S. Bureau of Fisheries, 

 and 

 W. J. J. DE SMIDT, Formerly Scientific Assistant, U. S. Bureau of Fisheries. 



J* 

 Contribution from the U. S. Fisheries Biological Station, Key West, Fla. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Introduction 282 



Classification and distribution 282 



Common names 282 



Part 1. — The spiny lobster fishery of south- 

 ern Florida 283 



The spiny lobster fishery at Key West, 



Fla 283 



Importance of the fishery 283 



Fishing grounds 283 



Local distribution 283 



Season of the fishery 284 



Apparatus and methods in general use. . 284 



The bully 285 



Fish traps 285 



The grains 286 



Hoop nets 286 



Seines 286 



Hooks and all other means 287 



Boats and equipment 287 



Methods of fishing 288 



Value of apparatus 288 



Marketing the catch 289 



Abuses in the fishery 289 



Part 2. — Life history of the spiny lobster. . . 291 



Description 29 1 



External characteristics 291 



Coloration 291 



Differences between young and 



adults 282 



Morphological differences in sex . . . 293 



Fifth claw of the female 293 



Second pair of legs of the male . 293 



Pleopods 294 



Carapace 295 



Thoracic sternum 295 



Habits and movements 296 



Habits 296 



Page. 



Part 2. — Life history of the spiny lobster — 

 Continued. 



Habits and movements — Continued. 



Movements 296 



Habits in captivity 296 



Food 297 



Enemies 297 



Modes of protection 297 



Sense organs 298 



Habitat and migrations 298 



Influence of changes in tempera- 

 ture 300 



Influence of tides 301 



Molting and regeneration 301 



Preparations for molting 301 



Casting of the shell 302 



The newly molted spiny lobster . . . 302 



Hardening of the new shell 303 



Autotomy 303 



Regeneration 303 



Rate of growth and size 304 



Genital openings and copulation 305 



Genital openings of the male 305 



Genital openings of the female 305 



Copulation 305 



The seminal vesicle 306 



Spawning 306 



Age of female at sexual maturity . . 306 



The spawning act 306 



Deposition of eggs 306 



Development of the egg 307 



Size and number of eggs 307 



Character of ovarian eggs 308 



Habits of the female during spawn 



bearing 308 



Time of spawning 308 



Experiments in hatching 309 



281 



