120 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



Table 31a. — Variation in the weights of lobsters ivith and without the great claws. 



Length in 

 inches. 



Sex. 



No. of 

 lobsters 

 exam- 

 ined. 



"Weight 

 with large 

 chelipeds, 

 in ounces. 



Variation 

 in weight. 



"Weight 

 without 



large cheli- 

 peds, 



in ounces. 



Variation 

 in weight. 



7i 



7| 

 81 

 S-i 

 8i 

 8| 

 8| 

 9J 



9* 



10" 



10 



11 

 11 



Male 



Fern tie 



Female 



Male 



Male 



Female 



Male 



Male 



Female 



Male 



Female 



Male 



Female 



1 

 1 

 3 

 1 

 1 

 1 

 1 

 6 

 2 

 1 

 3 

 1 

 1 



13 

 13 

 13 to 15 

 17 

 17 

 16 

 17 



22 to 31 



23 to 24 



28 



24 to 27 



48 

 39 





10 



10 



11 



12 



12 



12 



12 



15 to 17 



15 to 16 



17 



17 to 18 



22 



22 









2 



















9 



1 



2 



1 



3 



1 











Chapter VI.— ENEMIES OF THE LOBSTER. 



ANIMALS WHICH PREY UPON THE LOBSTER. 



The adult lobster, whether -with eggs attached to the body or not, is the prey of 

 numerous fish which feed upon the sea bottom, like the sharks, skates, and rays. 

 When of considerable size or in soft condition it is also devoured by the cod, pollock, 

 striped bass, sea bass, tautog, and probably by many other species. In fact every 

 predaceous fish which feeds upon the bottom may be looked upon in general as an 

 enemy of the lobster. 



A flshermau at Beal Island, West Jonesport, Maine, stated that he had caught 

 cod on trawls 10 to 15 miles from shore with lobsters 4 to 6 inches long in their 

 stomachs. Cod were also caught at Grand Manan, in summer, in 20 fathoms of 

 water, by Mr. J. W. Fisher, of Eastport, with very small lobsters, 1 1 to 2 inches long, 

 in their stomachs. Lobsters an inch long have also been taken from the stomachs of 

 codfish on the shores of Prince Edward Island (209, p. 232), and soft lobsters 3 to 8 

 inches long have also been found in the stomachs of these fish taken in deep water 

 off shore. 



The observations of Mr. Vinal K Edwards are quoted by Mr. Eathbun (156, p. 782) 

 to show the great destruction of lobsters in the Edgartown district, Marthas Vine- 

 yard. Out of hundreds of cod caught about No Mau's Land and examined by Mr. 

 Edwards, nearly every fish "contained one or more youug lobsters, and in many cases 

 the stomachs were almost entirely filled with them." So great did the destruction 

 wrought upon the lobster by the cod impress one, fisherman (156, p. 728) that he thought 

 the cod a greater enemy than the lobstermen, and said: "I have caught one hundred 

 cod in one day that I knew had the amount of one thousand lobsters and shadow's in 

 their entrails." 



1 These young lobsters were identified by Professor Baird. 



