The length measurements of the cara- 

 pace of the newly molted crabs showed some 

 fluctuations during hardening, which lasted 

 from 3 to k days. In all cases, however, 

 the specimens which were held from 5 to 

 13 days after molting showed the initial 

 growth measured 2 days after molting to be 

 the total growth. Growth from molting 

 ranged from 2 to 6 mm. , with an average of 

 k mm. as shown in table 1 and figure 3' 



Except for one specimen, all the 

 newly molted females failed to lay eggs. 



Wallace et al. (19^9) states, "a 

 simultaneous action is exerted by the 

 tissue under the carapace, leading to 

 breaks on the sides, posterior end, and, 

 in some cases, entirely across the cara- 

 pace. Very often the old shell is left 

 completely intact except for the breaks 

 along the sides of the carapace". In the 

 present study seven of the cast shells 

 remained completely intact, except for the 

 torn membrane on the posterior end of the 

 carapace. In all nine crabs the carapace 

 and leg shells were not cracked. 



Growth measurements from this study 

 (fig. 3) agree closely with the growth of 

 females from tagging and molting studies 

 described by Wallace et al. (19^9) and 

 Stevens (1955)- The 3 tcP* days taken 

 for shell -hardening agrees with the average 

 days required for growth and hardening 

 mentioned by Marukawa (1933)- 



Wallace et al. (19^9) states that 

 female crabs allowed to molt in the 

 absence of males do not extrude their eggs 

 until permitted to mate. In this study, 

 however, one of the nine females extruded 

 eggs a day after molting. 



4. One shell -casting process was 

 timed at k minutes. 



5. All but one of the newly molted 

 females failed to lay eggs. 



6. Size measurements fluctuated 

 during shell-hardening; however, the 

 growth measured 2 days after molting was 

 the total growth. 



7. The amount of growth ranged from 

 2 to 6 mm., with an average of k mm. 



LITERATURE CITED 



MARUKAWA, HTSATOSHI 



1933* Biology and Fishery Research of 

 Japanese King Crab, Paralithodes 

 camtschatica (Tilesius), J. Imp. 

 Expr. Sta. Tokyo, k (37): 152 pp. 



STEVENS, HIRAM REED, JR. 



1955* Progress Report on King Crab 

 Research, Annual Report No. 7, 

 Alaska Dept. of Fish., pp. 87. 



WALLACE, M. M. 

 A. R. HVATUM 



C. J. PERTUIT, AND 



19^9. Contribution to the Biology of 

 the King Crab ( Paralithodes 

 camtschatica (Tilesius), Fish. 

 Leaf. 340, U. S. Dept. of Interior, 

 Fish and Wildlife Service, pp. 27- 



SUMMARY 



1. Before molting the females were 

 observed rhythmically moving and stretch- 

 ing their abdomens. 



2. The female crabs cast their 

 shells without the males being present. 



3. Most of the shells cast were 

 intact except for the split in the membrane 

 connecting the carapace to the abdominal 

 segments . 



