Stevens and Guida: Biological parameters of Chaceon quinquedens in the Mid-Atlantic Bight 
353 
equivalent to a range of 63.4-96.5 mm CL, 
and the median size of crab captured by traps 
was 92.5 mm CW, or 73.8 mm CL. Therefore, 
abundance of males declines abruptly above 90 
mm CL, which approximately corresponds with 
the minimum size captured by the fishing in- 
dustry. Width frequencies of crab captured by 
Wahle et ai. (2008) during 2003-2005 showed 
a mode in the range of 65-75 mm CW (equiva- 
lent to 51-59 mm CL) for males and in the 
range of 95-105 mm CW (76-84 mm CL) for 
females. In contrast, male red deepsea crab 
captured during our study were larger, with a 
mode in the range of 80-90 mm CL, whereas 
females were slightly smaller, with a mode at 
70-75 mm CL. 
Differences in mean size of male and fe- 
male red deepsea crab (79.4 and 73.7 mm 
CL, respectively, equivalent to 99.1 and 92.4 
Depth (m) 
Figure 4 
Depth distribution of male and female red deepsea crab (Cha- 
ceon quinquedens) captured during 2011-2013 in the Mid-Atlan- 
tic Bight, expressed as density or number of crab per hectare 
(ha). Minimum depths are shown for each 50-m depth bin. 
C) 
c 
_Q) 
(D 
O 
ra 
D. 
CO 
CD 
o 
B 
8 
la 
lb 
1 1 1 
250-450m 450-700m 700-850m 
Depth (m) 
Mean size of red deepsea crab (Chaceon quinquedens) sampled during 2011-2013 
at 3 depth strata (years and sites combined) for (A) males and (B) females and at 
4 sites (years and depth strata combined) for (C) males and (D) females. Letters 
indicate similar groups within frames. The 4 sites in the Mid-Atlantic Bight were 
Block Island Canyon (BIC), Hudson Canyon (Hud), Baltimore and Washington Can- 
yons (BWC), and Norfolk Canyon (Nor) 
