and Jordan Cove had slightly more males. Sex ratios close to 1:1 were 

 also reported by other researchers working in near shore waters (Herrick 

 1911; Templeman 1936; Ennis 1971, 1974; Stewart 1972; Krouse 1973; 

 Thomas 1973; Briggs and Mushacke 1980). However, Smith (1977), working 

 in four different areas of LIS, found male to female ratios ranging from 

 1:1.06 - 1:1.81. Dominance of females in the catch was also reported by 

 Marcello et al. (1979) and by Briggs and Mushacke (1979). Predominance 

 of females is often associated with depth of water, size of catch, and 

 sampling method. Ratios close to 1:1 occur up to the size at which 

 females are sexually mature, after which females tend to predominate in 

 the catch due to the legal restrictions of landing egg-bearing females 

 and the fact that mature females molt less frequently then males (Skud 

 and Perkins 1969; Cooper et al. 1975; Ennis 1980). 

 Growth 



As a result of the mark and recapture tagging program, growth 

 expressed as percent increase in CL between molts, was calculated for 

 270 individuals that molted between the time of release and the time of 

 recapture. The growth per molt ranged from 12.1 - 13.4% (1978- 

 81) . There was no significant difference in growth between males and 

 females. Stewart (1972) reported growth per molt of 15.8% for males and 

 15.4% for females from eastern LIS and Briggs and Mushacke (1979) reported 

 10.4% from western LIS. In inshore waters, growth per molt has been 

 reported from 12.0 - 17.5% (Wilder 1953; Cooper 1970; Ennis 1972; Fair 

 1977). Cooper and Uzmann (1971) found growth increments of 16.7% for 

 females and 18.7% for males caught in deep offshore waters. Smaller 

 growth of inshore lobsters has been attributed to their relative inactivity 

 (feeding) during the colder months of the year (Cooper and Uzmann 1980). 



16 



