880 
Fishery Bulletin 96(4), 1 998 
Figure 1 0 
Pathological conditions associated with the presence of a snailfish egg mass in the branchial 
chamber of a golden king crab. Compression of the left gills and impression of individual eggs on 
the gill surface (upper). Blackened necrotic tissue on the right gills (lower). Complete loss of left 
gills (facing page). The fifth pereiopods, which act as gill cleaning appendages, are shown in their 
folded state at the posterior junction of the carapace and abdomen (lower). 
Discussion 
The branchial chambers of golden king crab provide 
Careproctus embryos and larvae with a well aerated 
environment and protection from predators. This 
advantage would be jeopardized if they were ejected 
prematurely by crab molting. To minimize the risk 
of this happening, snailfish must either have the 
