662 



Fishery Bulletin 90(4). 1992 



Table 3 



Pleopod setal development stages for male and nonovigerous 

 female lobsters Homarus americanus transplanted to St. 

 Michael's Bay, Labrador (Indian Arm in 1982, Croose I. in 1985) 

 during sampling, 1989-90. 



* From Aiken (1973). Stages 0-2.0 indicate molting is unlike- 

 ly, and stages 2.5-5.0 that molting is probable in the cur- 

 rent summer. 



during the summer. As a consequence, the incidence 

 of new shells among commercial sizes averaged 96% 

 and 94% for male and female lobsters, respectively, in 

 autumn samples from 1986 to 1990 (Ennis, unpubl. 

 data). These are much higher percentages than could 

 be expected for the transplanted lobsters in St. 

 Michael's Bay. There has been no lobster fishing in St. 

 Michael's Bay and, because of their larger sizes, 

 lobsters there are less likely to molt. Old-shell lobsters 

 are therefore likely to be much more prevalent. 



Among Indian Arm lobsters, the incidence of new 

 shells (indicating lobsters molted the previous summer) 

 ranged from 40.2% In 1986 to 62.5% in 1989 for males 

 and from 21.6% in 1986 to 47.6% in 1989 for females 

 (Table 2). In 1986, the incidence of new shells was very 

 low among Goose I. lobsters (3.3% for males and 6.7% 

 for females) indicating few molted in summer 1985 

 when they were transplanted. However, in 1988 and 

 1989 the incidence of new shells was quite high 

 (75.0-92.0%) for males and females (Table 2). 



Pleopod setal development was determined in 1989 

 and 1990 only. Percentages with advanced stages (2.5 

 and higher), which indicated molting would occur later 

 in the summer, varied between years and sexes at both 

 sampling sites. Among males, advanced stages in- 

 creased from 29.2% to 52.9% and from 31.0% to 60.9% 

 in Indian Arm and Goose I. samples, respectively, 

 between 1989 and 1990 (Table 3). Among females, it 

 increased from 37.5% in the Indian Arm sample and 

 18.8% in the Goose I. sample in 1989, to 100% in both 

 in 1990 (Table 3). 



Reproductive condition of 

 nonovigerous females 



Ovaries of 110 nonovigerous females from Indian Arm 

 and Goose Island combined were examined from 1987 

 to 1990 and all were found to be medium- to dark-green 



