Author: Murray L. Hayes

Publisher:

Published: 1963

Total Pages: 16

ISBN-13:

During the summer of 1957, 1,999 male king crabs (Paralithodes camtschatica) were tagged and released in the Shumagin Islands-False Pass area south of the Alaska Peninsula. By August 15, 1962, 13.8 percent of the number released had been returned. Tagged crabs from single offshore release locations were usually caught in more than one bay, suggesting that the summer stock offshore was made up of components found in separate locations at other times of the year. Tagged crabs released inside or near the mouths of bays were usually returned from the same general area, suggesting little movement between bays. Minimum distances of individual crab movements between tagging and recovery varied from 0 to 110 miles, but more than 90 percent of the returns were taken less than 35 miles from the tagging site. No recoveries were made by the U.S. or Japanese fishery in the Bering Sea. Growth of the crabs was similar to that previously reported. Biennial and triennial molt periods were indicated for large crabs.