Abstract
Molting and growth of the snow crab, Chionoecetes opilio was investigated using samples captured in the East Sea from July 2002 to June 2004. Individuals over 40 mm carapace width (CW) molted once a year from July to October. Annual molt stage of C. opilio can be divided into four stages; premolt stage, molting stage, postmolt stage and intennolt stage. The relationship between CW and chela height (CH) can be expressed as Y=-82lnCW+73.1129lnCH+166. They were separated into two groups based on the equation, that is, one group having a negative value (below 70 mm in CW) and other group having a positive value (over 130 mm in CW). Carapace width at 50% terminal molt (<TEX>$CW_{50%}$</TEX>) of males was estimated to be 105 mm. The Gompertz growth equation estimated from a non-linear method was <TEX>$CW=118.99e^{-6.296e^{-0.3062t}}$</TEX> for females and <TEX>$CW=156368e^{-6.6619e^{-0.2626t}}$</TEX> for males.
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