﻿232 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMxMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  table 
  illustrates, 
  with 
  approximate 
  accuracy, 
  the 
  egg- 
  

   producing- 
  capacities 
  of 
  lobsters 
  of 
  the 
  lengths 
  indicated 
  under 
  normal 
  

   conditions 
  : 
  

  

  MOLTINCi 
  AND 
  GROWTH. 
  

  

  The 
  act 
  of 
  shedding 
  the 
  shell, 
  or 
  molting, 
  is 
  important 
  and 
  critical. 
  

   It 
  is 
  only 
  after 
  shedding 
  that 
  growth 
  takes 
  place; 
  during 
  the 
  early 
  

   stages 
  of 
  the 
  lobster's 
  existence 
  this 
  function 
  is 
  often 
  exercised 
  in 
  a 
  

   comparatively 
  short 
  time, 
  while 
  later 
  it 
  occnrs 
  only 
  at 
  long 
  intervals. 
  

   Molting 
  in 
  the 
  lobster 
  consists 
  in 
  throwing 
  off 
  the 
  entire 
  external 
  skele- 
  

   ton, 
  together 
  with 
  the 
  lining 
  of 
  the 
  digestive 
  tract. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  molt 
  takes 
  place 
  about 
  the 
  time 
  the 
  young 
  emerges 
  from 
  

   the 
  egg, 
  when 
  it 
  is 
  about 
  a 
  third 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  long, 
  and 
  many 
  lobsters 
  

   do 
  not 
  survive 
  this. 
  During 
  this 
  first 
  stage 
  the 
  larval 
  lobster 
  swims 
  

   at 
  or 
  near 
  the 
  surface. 
  A 
  second 
  molt 
  ensues 
  in 
  from 
  1 
  to 
  5 
  days, 
  and 
  

   the 
  lobster 
  enters 
  on 
  its 
  second 
  stage, 
  its 
  average 
  length 
  being 
  about 
  

   two-fifths 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  and 
  its 
  habits 
  similar 
  to 
  the 
  first 
  stage. 
  In 
  2 
  to 
  

   5 
  days 
  another 
  molt 
  takes 
  place, 
  and 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  larva 
  increases 
  

   to 
  about 
  half 
  an 
  inch. 
  This 
  is 
  followed 
  in 
  2 
  to 
  8 
  days 
  by 
  another 
  molt, 
  

   and 
  the 
  lobster 
  enters 
  on 
  the 
  fourth 
  stage, 
  when 
  its 
  length 
  becomes 
  

   slightly 
  greater. 
  From 
  10 
  to 
  20 
  days 
  later 
  the 
  fifth 
  molt 
  ushers 
  in 
  the 
  

   fifth 
  stage, 
  after 
  which 
  the 
  surface- 
  swimming 
  habit 
  is 
  discarded 
  and 
  the 
  

   larva 
  goes 
  to 
  the 
  bottom 
  and 
  begins 
  to 
  assume 
  the 
  characteristics 
  of 
  the 
  

   adult. 
  This 
  stage 
  lasts 
  11 
  to 
  18 
  days, 
  and 
  in 
  it 
  the 
  young 
  lobster 
  has 
  

   attained 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  about 
  three-fifths 
  of 
  an 
  inch. 
  From 
  this 
  time 
  on 
  the 
  

   molts 
  are 
  at 
  longer 
  and 
  longer 
  intervals 
  until 
  the 
  fully 
  mature 
  condition 
  

   is 
  reached, 
  when 
  shedding 
  takes 
  place 
  only 
  once 
  in 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  years. 
  

  

  The 
  food 
  of 
  lobsters 
  during 
  the 
  larval 
  stages 
  consists 
  chiefly 
  of 
  small 
  

   crustaceans. 
  A. 
  very 
  pugnacious 
  instinct 
  then 
  characterizes 
  them, 
  and 
  

   active 
  cannibalism 
  prevents 
  their 
  artificial 
  rearing 
  for 
  lack 
  of 
  abundant 
  

   natural 
  food. 
  

  

  Larval 
  lobsters 
  are 
  very 
  susceptible 
  to 
  the 
  influence 
  of 
  the 
  sun 
  (helio- 
  

   tropic) 
  while 
  in 
  the 
  first 
  three 
  stages, 
  being 
  attracted 
  by 
  bright 
  rays 
  

   to 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  ocean 
  or 
  to 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  a 
  vessel. 
  This 
  peculiarity 
  

   is 
  lost 
  during 
  the 
  fourth 
  stage. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  first 
  year 
  the 
  young 
  lobster, 
  which 
  since 
  the 
  fourth 
  stage 
  

   has 
  become 
  more 
  and 
  more 
  like 
  the 
  adult 
  in 
  form 
  and 
  habits 
  with 
  each 
  

   molt, 
  attains 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  about 
  2 
  or 
  3 
  inches. 
  At 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  second 
  

  

  