HAEFNER: REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY OFGERYON QUINQUEDENS 



Y = -8.286 + 0.662X, n = 160; r - 0.943 



and those with immature vulvae: 



Y = -8.512 + 0.64LY, n = 91; r = 0.971. 



The size range in which relative growth of the 

 fifth abdominal segment changes is clearly as- 

 sociated with the maturation of the vulvae, 

 copulation and insemination, gonad development, 

 and extrusion of eggs. Females become sexually 

 mature within the intermolt size range 65-75 mm 

 CL (80-91 mm CW). Most intermolt females 3=76 

 mm CL show signs of copulation and insemina- 

 tion, and their ovaries are in intermediate to 

 advanced stages of development. Few females <75 

 mm CL are ovigerous. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 



I am indebted to the following personnel at 

 Virginia Institute of Marine Science who con- 



tributed their expertise to the project: F. A. 

 Perkins, photomicrography; Patsy Berry, micro- 

 technique and photography; Peggy Peoples and 

 Kay Stubblefield, art work; W. A. Van Engel, 

 manuscript review; and those associated with the 

 canyon cruises. 



LITERATURE CITED 



BAGENAL, T. B., and E. braum. 



1971. Eggs and early life history. In W. E. Ricker 

 (editor), Methods for assessment offish production in fresh 

 water, p. 166-198. IBP (Int. Biol. Programme) Handb. 3. 

 BROWN, G. G. 



1966. Ultrastructural studies of sperm morphology and 

 sperm-egg interaction in the decapod Callinectes 

 sapidus. J. Ultrastruct. Res. 14:425-440. 

 BUTLER, T. H. 



1960. Maturity and breeding of the Pacific edible crab, 

 Cancer magister Dana. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 17:641- 

 646. 

 CRONIN, L. E. 



1942. A histological study of the development of the ovary 

 and accessory reproductive organs of the blue crab, 

 Callinectes sapidus Rathbun. M.S. Thesis, Univ. 

 Maryland, College Park, 37 p. 



Q 



I- 



2 



s 



O 



UJ 



<n 



_) 

 < 

 z 



5 



o 



Q 

 CD 



< 



70-1 



60- 



50- 



40- 



30- 



20- 



10- 



• MATURE VULVAE 

 o IMMATURE VULVAE 



Y - -8.29 + 0.662 x, N--I60 



20 



30 



—r- 



40 



50 



60 



T~ 



70 



80 



90 



100 



no 



1 



120 



SHORT CARAPACE LENGTH (mm) 



FIGURE 10.— Relationship of width of fifth abdominal segment to short carapace length for Geryon quinquedens with mature (dots) 



and immature vulvae (circles). 



101 



