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Figure 1. — Plankton sampling stations in vicinity of Beaufort Inlet, Beaufort, N.C. 



and 13-mm mesh in the cod end. Relative 

 abundance, size, sex, and stage of sexual ma- 

 turity of the females were obtained for each 

 species present. The egg mass or sponge, if 

 present, was recorded either as orange, first laid 

 eggs, or as black, mature eggs ready to hatch. 



SEASONAL OCCURRENCE OF LARVAL, 

 JUVENILE, AND ADULT CRABS 



Larval Crabs 



Plankton collections contained 27 different 

 types of crab larvae. Callinectes spp. were 

 identified as to larval and megalops stages. 

 Other crabs were identified only as to genus 

 or species (Tables 1, 2, and 3). The most 

 abundant genus was Callinectes which oc- 



curred during all months sampled (May 

 through November) with the highest catches 

 in June, July, and August. Callinectes spp. 

 larvae were taken at all stations but greater 

 concentrations were found at the offshore sta- 

 tions and generally were caught near the sur- 

 face. Of special interest was the presence of 

 Callinectes (stages 2 and 3) at offshore stations 

 12 and 13. Nichols and Keney (1963) found 

 the more advanced stages of Callinectes 64 to 

 97 km offshore in plankton collections from the 

 Theodore N. Gill cruises. In our samples 

 megalops larvae (last larval stage) were col- 

 lected only occasionally and then only in small 

 numbers. 



One of the more abundant genera, Uca, was 

 prevalent from May through August but not 

 after September. This genus was well repre- 

 sented in the collections at most stations but 



