FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 85, NO. 2 



Table 6. — Estimates of queen conch length (cm) at age from the Caribbean. 



'This study • size frequence (a) and von Bertalanffy fit to tagging data (b). 



2Berg 1976 - size frequency. 



^Berg 1976 and Brownell et al. 1976 - von Bertalanffy fit to Randall's (1964) tagging data. 



■•Wood and Olsen 1983 - size frequency. 



^Alcolado 1976 - von Bertalanffy fit to tagging data from 7 locations. 



^Brow/nell 1977 - size frequency. 



(weight)-Logio (length) relationships best fit the 

 data. Analysis of covariance showed that queen 

 conch at Frazer's Hog Cay and Chub Cay had similar 

 whole animal weight-shell length relationships but 

 that both differed from conchs at Bird-Cat Cay 

 Channel. Therefore, two relationships were devel- 

 oped. 



Frazer's Hog-Chub Cay 



Logio (whole animal weight) = -2.40 + 3.57 

 X Logio (shell length) 



r = 0.95 A^ = 71 



Bird-Cat Cay Channel 



Logio (whole animal weight) = -1.36 -i- 2.84 

 X LogiQ (shell length) 



r = 0.93 N = 34. 



Mean lengths of queen conch at Frazer's Hog Cay 

 {X = 15.6 ± 0.7 cm) and Chub Cay (X = 18.6 ± 

 0.8 cm) were significantly (P < 0.001) larger than 

 those at Bird-Cat Cay Channel {X = 13.6 ±0.1 

 cm). Shell length-whole animal weight relationships 

 changed with size. Smaller conchs (X = 13.6 ±0.1 

 cm) increased in weight per unit length faster than 

 did larger conchs {X = 17.0 ± 0.7 cm). 



We found a close linear relationship between 

 whole animal weight and meat weight of Berry 

 Islands queen conch which did not vary among 

 areas: 



market weight = 0.65 (whole animal weight) 

 + 6.00 



A^ = 105; r = 0.97. 



The relationship between shell length and animal 

 weight, although significant (P < 0.001) was not as 

 close: 



market weight = 11.47 (shell length) - 50.69 



N = 105; r = 0.84. 



Table 7 gives the numbers of different aged queen 

 conchs in the Berry Islands needed for 1 pound of 

 market meat. Using the whole animal weight-shell 

 length and whole animal weight-market weight rela- 

 tionships developed above and assuming size at lip 

 formation (14.8-19.3 cm) is the size at harvest, 4-10 

 queen conchs are needed to produce 1 pound of meat 

 (Table 7). In the Berry Islands 6-8 conchs are needed 

 to make 1 pound of market meat, as opposed to 2-3 

 and 3-4 conchs/pound from other areas in the 

 Bahamas (Berg 1981). The high numbers of queen 

 conchs per pound of market meat from the Berry 

 Islands may be partially explained by their stunted 

 growth. 



Table 7. — Number of Berry Island queen conch required to make 

 1 pound of market meat.^ 



'Market meat = (0.65) (wfiole animal weight - shell weight) + 6. 



2Shell length (cm) converted to whole animal weight (gm) with Bird-Cat Cay 

 Channel regression log,^ (weight) = -1.36 + 2 84 log,„ (shell length). 



^Shell length (cm) converted to whole animal weight (g) with Frazer's Cay- 

 Chub Cay regression log,^ (weight) = -2.40 + 3.57 log,(, (shell length). 



"Mean size of lipped queen conchs sampled in Berry Islands. 



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