Abstract
The snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) is an Arctic cold-water species native to the northwestern Atlantic Ocean and the northern Pacific Ocean. During the recent decades, a population has established in the Barents Sea. Several aspects of the snow crabs’ biology in this area have not been described, including time of hatching, intermoult duration of the different larval stages and larval distribution. Insight into the early-life stages might increase the understanding of the population's dynamics and further spreading in the Barents Sea as well as inform basis for making monitoring and management decisions. The present study investigated the presence and developmental stage of snow crab larva in plankton samples obtained in the central Barents Sea during a research survey in June and July 2019. Presence of snow crab larvae was confirmed through taxonomic and genetic identification. All larvae were identified as zoea I, which gives an indication of the timing of the hatching period. Morphological measurements coincide well with those reported in studies from the species native distribution range. No larvae of native Hyas spp. were found and overlap in temporal and spatial distribution is discussed. The study provides important information for development of further research into the biology of the snow crab in the Barents Sea.
Highlights
The Arctic benthic snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) has a complex life cycle passing through several ontogenetic developmental stages before maturing to adult specimens
In the present study we describe findings of zoea stage I larvae of snow crab from central parts of the Barents Sea
Dvoretskii (2011) reported findings of H. araneus zoea stage I and II during three days in the period 30th May to 1st June in coastal areas of southern Barents Sea. From these reports and the findings of snow crab larvae in both June and July reported in this study, we expect there to be some co-occurrence of Hyas spp. and snow crab larvae in the Barents Sea
Summary
The Arctic benthic snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) has a complex life cycle passing through several ontogenetic developmental stages before maturing to adult specimens. The first sensitive period starts with hatching of the ripe eggs and release of planktonic larvae into the water column. Survival of larvae depends on temporal and spatial overlap with adequate densities of suitable prey and favourable temperatures linked with optimal vertical stratification and ocean currents (Houde 2009). The population is widely distributed across the Barents Sea continental shelf (Fig. 1). It is established as a self-reproducing population, implying suitable conditions for all life stages in the area. Fecundity studies from the central part of the Barents Sea documented that egg production is consistent with other studies for the same species in its native distribution range (Danielsen et al 2019)
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