118 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
THE RELATION OF WEIGHT TO LENGTH. 
The weights and lengths' of 2,057 lobsters captured at Woods Hole under the 
conditions already described (p. 25) are recorded in table 31. The weight does not 
bear a constant relation to the length, but is very variable owing to the loss of the 
appendages, particularly the large claw-bearing legs. These alone constitute from one 
quarter to one- half the entire weight of the animal, and probably in the Belfast lobster 
(plate 1), and in all giants of similar size, the weight of the large chelipeds is more 
than two-thirds that of the entire body (see table 31a). The lost limbs are regenerated, 
as we have seen, but never completely so without the intervention of one or moi'e 
molts, so that a lobster with an undersized claw is a common occurrence. 
The weight also is subject to great variation in consequence of the molt, when a 
dense heavy armor or cuticle is exchanged for a much lighter though larger one. In 
the soft lobster the specific gravity of the solids and fluids of the body is considerably 
reduced. Very few soft lobsters, however, were taken during the period of these obser- 
vations, only about 3 per cent (see table 23), so we may ascribe the great variations 
shown in the table below chiefly to disparity in the size of the large claws. This is 
particularly noticeable in smaller individuals, as in the 9-inch lobsters, where out of 
170 males the smallest weighed only 10 ounces and the largest three times as much. 
Table 31. — Relation between the lengths and weights of male and female lobsters, taken in Woods Hole 
Harbor, December to June, 1893-94. 
Length 
in 
inches. 
No. of 
males 
exam 
ined. 
Average 
weight 
of males. 
Extremes 
of weight 
of males 
No. of 
femaies 
without 
eggs ex- 
amined. 
Average 
weight of 
fern ales 
without 
eggs. 
Extremes 
of weight 
of females 
-without 
eggs. 
No. of 
females 
with 
eggs ex 
am ined. 
Average 
weight of 
females 
with 
eggs. 
Extremes 
of weight 
offemales 
with 
eggs. 
Total 
number 
of males 
and 
females 
examined. 
Average 
weight 
of all 
themales 
and 
females. 
oz. 
OZ. 
OZ. 
OZ. 
OZ. 
OZ. 
OZ. 
6 
3 
5. 33 
4 t,r» 6 
4 
8. 75 
8 to 1 0 
7 
7. 29 
H 
1 
8 
1 
8 
u 
3 
8 
8 
8 
4 
7. 25 
6 
8 
7 
7. 57 
6| 
5 
7. 60 
6 
10 
5 
7. 60 
7 
45 
10.18 
7 
13 
46 
10. 76 
9 
13 
1 
12. 00 
92 
10.49 
7 & 
1 
10 
1 
10 
7| 

10 
10 40 
9 
13 
4 
10. 25 
9 
13 
14 
10. 36 
7 | 
66 
11 86 
9 
15 
47 
11. 43 
8 
15 
113 
11. 68 
7 1 
20 
12 75 
10 
15 
9 
12. 44 
9 
16 
29 
12. 66 
8 
168 
15. 16 
8 
18 
138 
15. 30 
n 
18 
2 
12. 50 
12 to 13 
308 
15. 21 
8 & 
1 
14 
1 
14 
8} 
44 
15 30 
11 
20 
29 
15. 24 
12 
18 
73 
15. 27 
8i 
143 
16. 61 
13 
22 
108 
10. 36 
12 
19 
7 
16. 14 
15 
17 
258 
16. 50 
8J 
26 
17. 46 
13 
25 
26 
17 
13 
21 
1 
17 
53 
17.23 
9 
170 
18. 96 
10 
30 
153 
18. 61 
13 
18. 69 
15 
21 
336 
18. 79 
1 
16 
1 
16 
9j 
32 
19.91 
11 
28 
34 
19. 32 
16 
24 
4 
20 
17 
25 
70 
19. 63 
91 
148 
21.24 
16 
30 
145 
20.51 
16 
28 
24 
20. 42 
18 
24 
317 
20. 84 
9 | 
27 
24 
18 
30 
26 
21. 19 
18 
24 
3 
20. 67 
19 
21 
56 
22. 52 
10 
167 
24.41 
19 
32 
148 
23. 76 
17 
32 
36 
23. 86 
20 
28 
351 
24. 08 
104 
1 
28 
1 
28 
10i 
62 
27.44 
20 
35 
54 
24. 63 
21 
33 
17 
23.12 
20 
28 
133 
25. 76 
104 
79 
28.89 
22 
36 
75 
27. 52 
23 
41 
28 
28. 11 
23 
33 
182 
27.06 
log 
1 
26 
1 
26 
lot 
18 
29. 94 
25 
34 
16 
24. 19 
24 
33 
2 
26. 50 
25 
28 
36 
27. 19 
11 
31 
34. 65 
30 
42 
42 
30. 48 
23 
40 
20 
32. 10 
29 
37 
93 
32. 22 
in 
16 
87 20 
32 
49 
11 
32. 09 
27 
37 
21 
34. 52 
114 
11 
42. 36 
34 
54 
26 
34. 46 
30 
44 
4 
32. 25 
30 
34 
41 
36. 37 
111 
2 
36 
32 
4 0 
2 
34. 50 
34 
35 
4 
35. 25 
12 
9 
43. 78 
34 
54 
n 
42 
36 
54 
3 
43. 67 
37 
48 
23 
42. 91 
124 
1 
50 
1 
50 
124 
4 
50.25 
s 
00 
T* 
7 
42. 71 
36 
49 
11 
45. 45 
12f 
1 
45 
1 
45 
13 * 
4 
SI 80 
44 
60 
4 
47. 25 
40 
55 
8 
49. 75 
13 $ 
1 
68 
1 
68 
14 
1 
88 
1 
88 
144 
] 
74 
2 
65 
64 
66 
3 
68 
15 
3 
69. 33 
66 
72 
3 
69. 33 
1,313 
1,176 
168 
2, 657 
1 The length of the lobster is measured from the apex of the rostral spine to the end of the 
telson, not including the terminal fringe of hairs. 
