Seasonal Patterns of Recruitment of Juvenile Blue Crabs and Lesser Blue Crabs at a Coastal Site In Louisiana

Abstract

ABSTRACT This research tested the null hypothesis that there is no seasonal variation in the recruitment, body size, and growth status of juvenile Callinectes sapidus and Callinectes similis at a soft sediment site at Port Fourchon, LA, which varied in collection salinity between 17 and 37. Monthly collections of 5- to 30.6-mm carapace width (CW) juvenile crabs were made with a push net between March 2007 and February 2009. Juvenile C. sapidus were primarily recruited in March 2007, November 2007 to February 2008, June and July 2008, and in December 2008 and January 2009, whereas the major recruitment times for C. similis were April–October 2007,March–May 2008, August through October 2008 and February 2009. The ratio of juvenile C. sapidus:C. similis was not significantly related to the ambient salinity at the time of collection. The average wet weight, dry weight, and ash-free dry weight of a standard 17.5-mm CW blue crab and lesser blue crab was determined monthly with second-degree polynomial (quadrati...