for stone crabs is approximately April - September. Molting normally occurs in mature 
females in fall - winter following the completion of spawning. Molting has been shown to 
be accelerated by removal of claws early in the intermolt period. The observed 
increase in spawning by declawed crabs during the early months of the spawning season 
may be a result of interactions between the molting and spawning cycles, with both 
processes shifted forward in time as a reaction to declawing. 
1984 - 1985 
Powell, A. B., D. E. Hoss, W. F. Hettler, D. S. Peters, L. Simoneaux, and S. Wagner (1987) 
Abundance and distribution of ichthyoplankton in Florida Bay and adjacent waters. Final rep. 
SSFRC-87/01. South Florida Res. Center, Everglades National Park, Homestead, FL. 44 pp. 
An ichthyoplankton survey was carried on in Florida Bay and adjacent waters that 
focused on the abundance and distribution of larvae of four target species: red drum 
(Sciaenops ocellata), snook ( Centropomus undecimalis), gray snapper ( Lutjanus griseus) 
spotted seatrout ( Cynoscion nebulosus). Twenty sampling stations were established: 
eight to document larval entry into Florida Bay and adjacent estuarine waters, and 12 
within Florida Bay and adjacent estuarine waters to provide insight into larval fish 
distribution and movement. Ten larval fish collection trips were made during 1984 and 
1985. Spotted seatrout was the only target species whose larvae were regularly 
collected. No snook, one red drum and 16 potential gray snapper were collected. Based 
on the distribution of early stage larvae, spotted seatrout spawned in intermediate to 
high salinity waters within western Florida Bay and adjacent estuarine waters, but did 
not appear to spawn in brackish waters. We never collected spotted seatrout in the 
Keys area. Temporally, spotted seatrout have a protracted spawning season with 
spawning minimal during late fall and winter and most intense from May to September. 
Based on the absence of early larval stages, gray snapper, snook and red drum 
apparently spawn outside of the Everglades National Park. All larvae identified as 
snapper larvae were found in the ocean but young juveniles were found both in Florida 
Bay and the ocean. It appears that gray snapper spawn near offshore reefs in the 
Atlantic Ocean and at least some enter the Park as juveniles. The lack of larval snook 
and red drum in our samples does not indicate they are absent from the area. Adults 
spawn outside the Park, thus the larval supply may be susceptible to considerable 
mortality prior to migrating into the Park. They are less vulnerable to the gear because 
they are relatively well developed, and they may not be available to standard 
ichthyoplankton gear due to preference for the poorly sampled microhabitats (e.g., 
crevices, the bottom and channel edges). Step-oblique tows with standard 
ichthyoplankton gear was appropriate for sampling early stage trout larvae to 
determine the spatial and temporal distribution of spawning. The development of 
different gear may be required to study the late larval and early juvenile stage. 
Although our research focused on the four target species we were able to gain an 
insight into the distribution and abundance of non-gamefish within Florida Bay and 
adjacent waters. One of the most striking patterns was the dominance by and ubiquitous 
distribution of gobiid larvae. 
1984 - 1985 
Powell, A. B., D. E. Hoss, W. F. Hettler, D. S. Peters, and S. Wagner (1989) Abundance and 
distribution of ichthyoplankton in Florida Bay and adjacent waters. Symp. on Florida Bay: A 
Subtropical Lagoon. Miami, FL. June, 1987. Bull. Mar. Sci. . 44(1):35-48. 
This ichthyoplankton survey in Florida Bay and adjacent waters focused on the 
abundance and distribution of larvae of four species: red drum (Sciaenops ocellata), 
snook (Centropomus undecimalis), gray snapper (Lutjanus griseus) and spotted seatrout 
(Cynoscion nebulosus). Spotted seatrout was the only target species whose larvae were 
regularly collected. The data indicated that this species spawned in intermediate to high 
288 
