Size Distribution 



The mean carapace length of males and females in Area 3 remained relatively 

 constant throughout the study (Table 6). It is assumed that the size structure 

 of the population for Areas 1, 2, and 4 also remained constant with time. The 

 relatively infrequent collections of carapace length data from lobsters in 

 these areas support this assumption. Males exceed females in average carapace 

 length by 17.7 mm. 



Table 6. — Mean carapace lengths of male and female lobsters 

 by study period from Area 3. 



Period Mean Carapace Length (millimeters) 



number Males (sample size) Females (sample size) 



114.2 (32) 



113.3 (15) 

 119.0 ( 5) 



113.4 (14) 



92.0 (11) 



95.4 (14) 



95.7 ( 8) 



100.9 (16) 



All 

 periods 



114.2 (66) 



96.5 C49) 



The size structure, by sex, was relatively constant regardless of study area. 

 Males averaged 118, 101, 114, and 120 and females 115, 89, 96, and 105 for 

 Areas 1 through 4, respectively. Significant differences in mean carapace 

 lengths at the 95% confidence level do not exist between study areas for a 

 given sex. Males ranged from 53 to 170 mm; females from 56 to 140 mm. A size 

 distribution by size and sex, all areas combined, is presented in Figure 5. 



Figure 5. Length frequency distributions for all lobsters sampled 

 from study Areas 1-4, by sex 



VI-46 



