582 



Fishery Bulletin 94(3), 1996 



1.6 - 



<D 3 5 



2 



ii 2 



i) 1 



0.? 

 i 



140 



140 



Carapace length (mm) 



Observed 



/W=0 3 



M=05 



Variable M 



Figure 3 



Comparison of observed and estimated length frequencies of Bristol Bay red king crab catches modeled 

 with weighting factor A = 1, constant M of 0.3 and 0.5, and with three levels of M (0.2 for 1974-79 and 

 1985-93, 0.7 for 1980 and 1983-84, and 1.2 for 1981-82). 



86 were estimated to be zero, which is biologically un- during this period. The average molting probabilities 



realistic. The zero molting probabilities were prima- from all fits during 1977-79 and 1989-91 were slightly 



rily caused by few large new-shell crabs in the catch higher than those estimated by Zheng et al. ( 1995). 



