FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 87, NO- 1 



Hepatus epheliticus 



The known range for this crab extends from 

 Chesapeake Bay to southern Florida where it is a 

 common inhabitant of nearshore waters. Evidence 

 suggests it buries in sandy substrate (Wilhams 

 1984) and may be nocturnally active (Powers 

 1977). 



Hepatus epheliticus occurred throughout the study 

 area and was present in 65% of the collections made 

 during all seasons (Table 1). Abundance differed 

 among seasons with the stratified mean catch per 

 tow being highest in fall (10 individuals/tow) and 

 summer (12 individuals/tow) (Table 5). Number of 

 individuals per tow also differed between areas with 

 highest catches noted from strata off South Caro- 

 lina and North Carolina (10 individuals/tow) (Fig. 

 4). Larger crabs were noted in this region with a 

 mean carapace width (x CW) of 58 mm {n = 1,176). 

 The mean size oiH. epheliticus from Georgia coastal 

 waters was 58 mm (n = 526), while those from 

 strata off Florida averaged 54 mm (n = 456). There 

 was a noticeable decrease in size and number of 

 crabs collected in winter (x CW = 38 mm, n = 30) 

 compared with sizes noted for other seasons (spring: 

 i CW = 52 mm, n = 306; summer: x CW = 57 

 mm, n = 1,050; fall: x CW = 60 mm, n = 772). 

 This may reflect movement of larger crabs further 

 offshore during the winter. 



Female H. epheliticus significantly outnumbered 

 male crabs during every season except winter (Table 

 6). Carapace width was similar among the sexes 

 (male x CW = 58 mm, n = 663) (female x CW = 

 = 57 mm, n = 1,479). 



Squilla neglecta 



This stomatopod species has a more disjunct dis- 

 tribution than its congener, S. empusa, and occurs 

 from North Carolina to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico 

 from western Florida to Texas, and southwest to 

 Brazil (Gore and Becker 1976). Squilla neglecta was 

 found by Camp (1973) to co-occur with S. empusa 

 on the central west Florida Shelf where both were 

 most abundant at 18 m depths. 



Squilla neglecta occurred in 49% of the trawl tows 

 and was most abundant in spring (9 individuals/tow) 

 (Table 5). The number of individuals per tow was 

 highest in strata off Georgia during every season 

 except winter when none occurred there (Fig. 4). 



Callinectes sapidus 



The blue crab occurs along the western Atlantic 

 172 



coastline from Maine to northern Argentina, with 

 the main commercial fishery in Chesapeake Bay 

 (Williams 1984). Blue crabs occur on a variety of bot- 

 tom types and are mainly abundant out to depths 

 of 35 m. 



Callinectes sapidus ranked first in terms of bio- 

 mass, making up about 19% of the entire catch of 

 decapods and stomatopods (Table 1). Blue crabs oc- 

 curred in 173 of the 303 trawl tows made during the 

 survey. 



The stratified mean catch per tow for number and 

 weight was greatest in the coastal zone during 

 spring and summer (Table 5). Comparison of catches 

 between areas showed abundance was comparable 

 for strata off Georgia and North Carolina/South 

 Carolina during all seasons (Fig. 4). 



Size composition of blue crabs differed between 

 seasons with the average carapace width being 

 greatest in winter and spring (Fig. 5). Mean cara- 

 pace wadth was similar between areas, however, 

 with those collected off Florida averaging 137 

 mm {n = 164) and those from strata off Georgia 

 {n = 485) and North Carolina/South Carolina {n 

 = 835) averaging 139 mm and 138 mm, respec- 

 tively. 



Sex ratios were overwhelmingly dominant in 

 terms of female C. sapidus for each season (Table 

 6). No ovigerous female crabs were collected in 

 winter and only two individuals were found in fall 

 collections. During spring and summer, however, 

 the number of ovigerous females constituted 70% 

 and 47% of the catch of female crabs, respectively. 

 Among non-ovigerous females (n = 809), 95% of the 

 blue crabs were mature. 



Greater numbers of females in the coastal zone 

 are expected in view of the life history of the blue 

 crab. With the exception of the breeding season, 

 when females migrate into lower salinity waters of 

 the estuary, they are usually found near the mouths 

 of estuaries where the eggs are spawned and hatch. 

 Most spawning occurs in spring and early summer, 

 with the season becoming progressively shorter 

 from Florida to North Carolina (Norse 1977). Males, 

 however, remain in the middle to upper reaches of 

 estuaries as juveniles and adults (Gunter 1950; 

 Hildebrand 1954). 



Arenaeus cribrarius 



This portunid is a common inhabitant of the shal- 

 low coastal zone along beaches (Hoese 1972; Wil- 

 liams 1984). The known geographic range extends 

 from Massachusetts to Brazil. It occurs abundant- 

 ly in the penaeid shrimp grounds of the Gulf of Mex- 



