8-23 



stenohaline in that they prefer water of high salinity (Galtsoff , 1964) . 

 As such, they are somewhat restricted from the innermost harbor area, 

 particularly during the spring. The same situation was observed at 

 Stamford Harbor (NAI, 1974), where Asterias was rarely found at the 

 innermost harbor station. 



From July 1976 through October 1977 Asterias ranged in size 

 from 25 mm to 132 mm and averaged 99 mm (NAI, 1978a and 1977). No 

 seasonal or distributional trends in size of starfish were evident from 

 the limited size data acquired during that sixteen-month period. 



Cancer irroratus 



The rock crab. Cancer irroratus , ranked third in overall 

 abundance of epifauna from 1974 through 1977 (Table 8-4) . It ranges 

 from Labrador to South Carolina (Williams, 1965; Gosner, 1971) and has 

 potential value as a commercial fisheries resource (Marchant and Holm- 

 ser, 1975) . Toward the southern extent of its range. Cancer is more 

 common in deeper water. Water temperatures ranging from 14 to 21 °C 



(Marchant and Holmser, 1975) and salinities of 20 to 32 ppt are optimal 

 for adult Cancer. Although termed the rock crab. Cancer irroratus is 

 most common on sandy bottoms (Jeffries, 1966; Saila and Pratt, 1973). 

 It does , however , venture on to coarse gravel and mixed rocky bottoms 



(Musich and McEachran, 1972) as well as muddy bottoms (Scarratt and 

 Lowe, 1972) . Rock crabs feed actively upon polychaetes, mussels, gas- 

 tropods, starfish and sea urchins, and most food appears to be taken 

 alive (Scarret and Lowe, 1972) . Rock crabs in turn are preyed on by 

 large demersal fish and lobsters (Scarret and Lowe, 1972) . 



In New Haven Harbor, the annual abundance of Cancer varied 

 over the course of the monitoring program with lowest abundances ob- 

 served during 1975 and 1976 (approximately 700 individuals each year) 

 and highest abundances during 1974 (2500 individuals) and 1977 (1400 



