Growth and claw regeneration of the stone crab, Menippe mercenaria

Abstract

Savage, T. and J.R. Sullivan. 1978. Growth and Claw Regeneration of the Stone Crab, Menippe mercenaria. Fla. Mar. Res. Publ. No. 32.23 pp. Laboratory-maintained and feral crabs were observed for incremental carapace width and major and minor claw growth. Morphometric relationships for male and female carapace width against length and carapace width against major and minor claw sizes were derived. Only slopes of carapace width us. female major and male minor claws were not significantly different at the 95% confidence level. Feral normal male incremental growth exceeded that of normal females for all parameters. Normal laboratory females possessed greater average carapace width growth but less claw growth than did their male counterparts. All laboratory growth was more uniform but incrementally smaller than corresponding field growth. A hypothetical growth plot constructed from incremental growth of several crabs indicated ages at attainment of sexual maturity and legal size to be 10 and 30 months. A pictorial description of stone crab claw regeneration is presented. Minor claws realized greater regeneration after one and two molts (73.5% and 96.5% of pre-autotomized sizes) than did major claws (68.6% and 89.0%). Intermolt interval of laboratory crabs increased with larger carapace width sizes. Claw loss shortened or lengthened duration of the intermolt period depending upon whether the claw was removed shortly after a molt or later in the cycle. (Document has 27 pages.