THE AMERICAN LOliSTEli. 



65 



PERIOD OF SEXUAL MATURITY. 



To determine the size which is usually attained by the sexually mature lobster is 

 of the first importance in studying the economy of this animal. If the female lobster 

 is not allowed to reproduce at least once before she is caught and destroyed, a deple- 

 tion of the fishery must inevitably result. 



In some of the States and in the Maritime Provinces of Great Britain, where 

 lobsters still abound, or were abundant in the past, protective laws have been enacted, 

 prescribing a definite limit to the length of marketable lobsters. In Newfoundland 

 this limit is set at 9 inches. (The Royal Gazette, May 27, 1893.) In Maine the limit is 

 placed at 9 inches for the months of May and June, and 10i inches for the remainder 

 of the year. 1 In Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York the limit is fixed at 

 10.} inches; in Rhode Island at 10, and in Connecticut at inches. It is thus evident 

 that very uncertain and contrary opinions have been entertained in regard to the 

 size which is reached by the sexually mature lobster. In order to settle this question 

 upon the solid ground of anatomy, and at the same time work out a number of other 

 problems relating to the reproductive organs, I made in the summer of 1890 a large 

 number of dissections, aud have embodied some of the results in table 20. 



Table 20. — General condition of the sexual organs, of theexternal and internal eggs, and of the shellin lobsters, 

 chiefly females, ranging from 2 to 16 inches in length, in June, July, and August. 



Condition of sexual 

 organs. 



22 Female 



23 . . do . . 



24 ...do.. 



25 ...do.. 



26 . do .. 



Ovary pea-green color; 



extends nearly to end 



of third abdominal 



segment. 

 Ovary nearly ripe; ex 



tends to end of third 



abdominal segment. 

 Ductsof testes charged 



with ripe sperm. 

 Ovaries pea-green color. 



Compare fig. 138, pi 



38. 



Ovaries approaching 



maturity. 



Condition of swim- 

 merets. 



With old eggs, 

 now hatching. 



All with old eggs, 

 hatched t li i .s 

 year. 



Clean. 



Remarks 



11J . July 9 Menernsha, 

 sand bot- 

 tom. 



12 i ..do I do 



11 . ..do i do 



10£ ... do 



10 



do. 



.do 

 do 



Testes filled with solid 

 masses of ripe sper- '■ 

 matozoa, which are 

 surrounded by a gela- 

 tinous secretion. 



Ovaries dirty, yellow Clean, 

 color ; very immature. 



Ovaries dark green; do . 



nearly ripe. 

 Ovaries immature; do 



very light green. 

 Ovaries dark green; do. 



like No. 23. 

 Ovary straw color; very do 



immature. 



Shell hard. Compare 

 fig. 138, pi. 38. 



Oviducts not distended 

 with eggs. 



The gluey threads still 

 attached to the hairs 

 of the swimmerets 

 show conclusively 

 that young have been 

 hatched this season. 



All about to extrude 

 eggs this season. In 

 one case eggs nearly 

 ripe. Size of internal 

 egg, 1.33 mm. 



Spermat o p h o r e s— or 

 packages of sperm, 

 wrapped in a gelati- 

 nous substance— can 

 be pressed out of the 

 ducts. 



Apparent'y no young 

 hatched ' this year. 

 Probably never sexu 

 ally mature. 



Hani shell. 



Do. 



Do. 



Animal not reached 

 sexual maturity. 



1 The legislature amended this law in 1895, so that it is now illegal to destroy lobsters measuring 

 less than 104 inches in length at any time of the year. 



F. C.B. 1895 5 



