39 days and was recaptured at a depth of 100 fathoms 

 (183 m); track direction and timing is consistent with 

 hypothesized overwintering at and below the continental 

 shelf margin. Return 357F, recaptured in October of the 

 following year, is regarded as a migrant of the year 1969. 



Composite Station 18 (See Figure 20 and 

 Appendix Table 18) 



Two hundred thirteen recaptures have been reported 

 from a composite total of 1,350 releases some 7 miles 

 (13.0 km) easterly of the head of Veatch Canyon on 30 

 April and 1 and 2 May 1969. Mean depth at first capture 

 was 137 fathoms (251 m); mean depth at release was 71 

 fathoms (130 m). These subgroups, like several others, 

 were released shoaler than capture depth to avoid the 

 likelihood of immediate recapture by our own vessel or 

 other commercial vessels trawling in the vicinity of in- 

 itial capture. One hundred eleven of the recaptures were 

 reported by specific location and 36 by approximate loca- 

 tion. In Figure 20 the recoveries are grouped and plotted 

 by 6-minute squares for reasons given earlier. Sex ratio at 

 release was 582 females (43%) to 768 males. The ratio at 

 return was 97 females (46%) to 116 males. 



Mean time at large for all accountable (208) recoveries 

 was 275 days (0.7 yr). Maximum time at large for a 

 located individual (863F), a mature female at release, 

 was 950 days (2.6 yr), during which time net displace- 

 ment from release locality was only 7 miles (13.0 km). 



Mean dispersion of the 111 recaptures with specific 

 capture locations was 25.3 miles (46.9 km). Ten females 

 and six males, the majority being mature at release, sur- 

 passed the 50-mile (92.7-km) range; among these 16, 

 four (249F, 477F, 359M, 720M) ranged well beyond 100 

 miles (204 km). 



Fifteen of the recoveries are defined migrants. The 

 foremost example among these was 249F, a 90-mm 

 female at release; this individual traveled a record 186 

 miles (345 km) in 71 days (2.6 miles/day = 4.8 km/day) 

 and was recaptured in July in a trap fishery at 7 fathoms 

 (12.8 m) depth on the north shore of Long Island. This 

 extensive penetration into Long Island Sound might be 

 interpreted as an initially directed shoalward vector 

 toward Block Island Sound with unintended overrun into 

 eastern Long Island Sound; thereafter, a southwesterly 

 track would conceivably lead to the vicinity of recapture 

 on the north shore of Long Island. Alternatively, once 

 having entered the constricted eastern end of Long Island 

 Sound, any near-southerly track would result in shoaling 

 on the extensive north shore of Long Island and present 

 the dilemma of choosing correctly between an easterly or 

 westerly course for ultimate return to the open ocean. A 

 westerly track alongshore would also, in this conjectural 

 situation, effectively lead 249F to the point of recapture. 

 This unforeseen situation raises the possibility that other 

 lobsters of offshore origin may follow similar pathways 

 and become entrapped in Long Island Sound by virtue of 

 its confining geography. 



The defined migrants within this group are listed 

 below along with track bearing, ground speed, and depth 



change, and the positive values of depth change signify 

 shoalward movement: 



Ground speed Depth change 



Return no. Bearing mi/day km/day fathoms meters 



249F 



302° 



2.6 



4.8 



+68 



+ 124 



263F 



348" 



0.9 



1.7 



+50 



+91 



240F 



036° 



2.1 



3.9 



+36 



+66 



254F 



069° 



0.6 



1.1 



+42 



+77 



271F 



278° 



0.3 



0.6 



-20 



-37 



283F 



073° 



0.2 



0.4 



-20 



-37 



166F 



060° 



0.6 



1.1 











158F 



058° 



0.5 



0.9 



-5 



-9 



221F 



081° 



0.2 



0.4 



+ 10 



+ 18 



201M 



072° 



0.8 



1.5 











311M 



006° 



0.4 



0.7 



+ 45 



+ 82 



199M 



067° 



0.7 



1.3 



+ 5 



+9 



266M 



296° 



0.2 



0.4 



+ 15 



+ 27 



160M 



066° 



0.6 



1.1 



-12 



-22 



300M 



072° 



0.2 



0.4 



-20 



-37 



The initial bearing of 249F is measured to a point east 

 of Montauk Point consistent with assumed straight-line 

 penetration of eastern Long Island Sound; the subse- 

 quent track or tracks to point of recapture are highly con- 

 jectural as discussed above. Eight of the fifteen migrants 

 moved shoalward, two remained at release depth, and 

 five moved to deeper water. Among the five returning to 

 deeper water, three were immature females. 



Composite Station 19 (See Figure 21 and 

 Appendix Table 19) 



One hundred four recaptures have been reported from 

 a single point release of 751 lobsters some 12 miles (22.2 

 km) southwesterly of Hydrographer Canyon on 4 May 

 1969. Depth at first capture was 150 fathoms (274 m); 

 depth at release was 65 fathoms (119 m). Sixty-one 

 recaptures were reported by specific location and 24 by 

 approximate location. Sex ratio at release was 362 

 females (48%) to 389 males; the ratio at return was 57 

 females (55%) to 47 males. 



Mean time at large for all accountable (96) recoveries 

 was 286 days (0.8 yr); greatest time at large for a located 

 individual (673F), a mature female at release, was 744 

 days (2.0 yr). 



Mean distance traveled by individuals with specific 

 capture locations (61) was 26.7 miles (49.5 km); seven in- 

 dividuals (294F, 610F, 246M, 317M, 480M, 570M, 577M) 

 exceeded the 50-mile (92.7-km) range from release point. 

 Six of these seven long-ranging individuals were sexually 

 mature at release; the seventh (480M) was mature at 

 recapture some 10 mo from release. 



Maximum dispersion (125 miles = 232 km) was 

 achieved by a mature male (317M) which moved 

 northeasterly onto Georges Shoals at an apparent ground 

 speed of 1.4 miles (2.6 km) per day. Two others (294F, 

 570M) also exceeded the 100-mile (185-km) range; these 

 three cases of wide dispersion from release point are good 

 examples of the contrasting distinction between defined 

 migrants (317M and 294F) and the defined indeter- 

 minate (570M): the former show ground speeds in excess 



14 



