press) (possibly up to 2 mo) during which time the 

 female is held by and dependent on the male. In 

 laboratory studies on C. bairdi, Paul and Adams 

 (1984) demonstrated that muciparous females are 

 receptive to mating for periods ranging from <1 to 

 7 d after all their eggs have hatched. In fact, they 

 reported that only one ovigerous female mated suc- 

 cessfully during their study. 



In the Gulf of St. Lawrence, male snow crabs 

 mature within the 50-65 mm CW size range (Powles 

 1968; Watson 1970); however, in the sampling 

 reported here, only 3 males from the 303 pairs ex- 

 amined were smaller than the 95 mm CW minimum 

 legal size, the smallest being 89 mm. Except for 

 these, even solitary males of this size and smaller 

 were absent from the area indicating that competi- 

 tion for females had occurred in deeper water. This 

 snow crab population appears to be small and is 

 isolated from populations elsewhere in the Gulf of 

 St Lawrence by the 35 m deep sill at the mouth of 

 Bonne Bay. This area has not been fished commer- 

 cially and at present the population is considered to 

 be in the virgin state. Hooper's (in press) observa- 

 tions indicated there is keen competition between 

 single males and males already paired with a female 

 for possession of the female. Under prefishery con- 

 ditions this competition can be expected to eliminate 

 small males from participating in breeding activi- 

 ty. Adams (1982) demonstrated that muciparous 

 female C. bairdi resisted mating attempts by small 

 males, and when males of significantly different 

 sizes competed for the same female, the larger male 

 was invariably successful. Small numbers of the 

 largest of the sublegal (<95 mm CW) male C. opilio 

 appear to be capable of competing and mating suc- 

 cessfully. However, it is presently unknown whether 

 males smaller than those observed are capable of 

 successful mating with multiparous females in the 

 absence of competition from large males and, if they 

 are not, whether there are sufficient numbers of 

 large sublegal males to maintain full reproductive 

 potential in a heavily fished population. 



Acknowledgments 



We are indebted to P. O'Keefe, G. Badcock, and 

 D. Keats for assistance with field work, particular- 

 ly diving, and to P. Collins, as well as P. O'Keefe 

 and H. Mullett for assistance with data analysis and 

 drafting. 



Literature Cited 



Adams, A. E. 



1982. The mating behavior of Chionoecetes bairdi. In B. 



Melteff (editor), Proceedings of the International Symposium 

 on the genus Chionoecetes. Lowell Wakefield Fisheries Sym- 

 posia Series, p. 273-281. Univ. Alaska, Fairbanks, Sea Grant 

 Rep. 82-10. 



Donaldson, W. E. 



1975. Kodiak Tanner Crab Research. Technical Report for 

 period July 1, 1974 to June 30, 1975. NOAA, NMFS, 69 p. 



Elner, R. W., and D. a. Robichaud. 



1983. Observations on the efficacy of the minimum legal size 

 for Atlantic snow crab, Chionoecetes opilio. CAFSAC Res. 

 Doc. 83/63, 26 p. 



Hooper, R. G. 



In press. A spring breeding migration of the snow crab 



(Chionoecetes opilio) into shallow water in Newfoundland. 



Crustaceana. 

 ITO, K. 



1967. Ecological studies on the edible crab, Chionoecetes 

 opilio 0. Fabricius in the Japan Sea. I. When do female crabs 

 first spawn and how do they advance into the following 

 reproductive stage? Bull. Jpn. Sea Reg. Fish Res. Lab. 

 17:67-84. [Engl, transl. from Jpn. by Fish Res. Board Can. 

 Trans. Ser. No. 1103.] 



Miller, R. J., and P. G. O'Keefe. 



1981. Seasonal and depth distribution, size, and molt cycle 

 of the spider crabs, Chionoecetes opilio, Hyas araneus and 

 Hyas coarctatus in a Newfoundland bay. Can. Tech. Rep. 

 Fish. Aquat. Sci. 1003, 18 p. 



Paul. A. J. 



1982. Mating frequency and sperm storage as factors affect- 

 ing egg production in multiparous Chionoecetes bairdi. In 

 B. Melteff (editor). Proceedings of the International Sym- 

 posium on the genus Chionoecetes. Lowell Wakefield Fish- 

 eries Symposia Series, p. 273-281. Univ. Alaska, Fairbanks, 

 Sea Grant Rep. 82-10. 



Paul, A. J., and A. E. Adams. 



1984. Breeding and fertile period for female Chionoecetes 

 bairdi (Decapoda, Majidae). J. Crustacean Biol. 4:589-594. 



Powles, H. W. 



1968. Distribution and biology of the spider crab Chionoecetes 

 opilio in the Magdalen Shallows, Gulf of St. Lawrence. 

 Fish. Res. Board Can. MS Rep. 997, 106 p. 



Squires, H. J., G. E. Tucker, and G. P. Ennis. 



1971. Lobsters (Homarus americanus) in Bay of Islands, 

 Newfoundland, 1963-65. Manuscr. Rep. Ser. (Biol.) No. 

 1151, 58 p. 



Taylor, D. M. 



1 982. A recent development in tagging studies on snow crab, 

 Chionoecetes opilio in Newfoundland - Retention of tags 

 through ecdysis. In B. Melteff (editor). Proceedings of the 

 International Symposium on the genus Chionoecetes. Lowell 

 Wakefield Fisheries Symposia Series, p. 405-417. Univ. 

 Alaska, Fairbanks, Sea Grant Rep. 82-10. 

 Takeshita, K., and S. Matsuura. 



1980. Mating and egg-laying in Tanner crabs. Bull. Far Seas 

 Fish. Res. Lab. 

 Watson, J. 



1970. Maturity, mating and egg-laying in the spider crab, 

 Chionoecetes opilio. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 27:1607- 

 1616. 



1972. Mating behavior in the spider crab, Chionoecetes opilio, 

 J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 29:447-449. 



D. M. Taylor 



Fisheries Research Branch 

 Department of Fisheries and Oceans 



710 



