Abundance and Population Characteristics of the Stone Crab, Menippe Adina, and Gear Efficiency in Mississippi Coastal Waters, Final Report

Résumé du livre

In the spring and autumn of 1986, trapping studies were conducted in Dog Keys Pass, Mississippi, to determine if sufficient numbers of stone crabs (Menippe adina) were present to support a fishery. The spring catch was dominated by female crabs, 80% of which were ovigerous. Crabs of both sexes were slightly larger in autumn, and the sex ratio was near 1:1. Although the abundance of stone crabs in Dog Keys Pass appears to be sufficient to support a limited fishery, loss of traps to shrimp trawlers may be a limiting factor to its development. A trap efficiency study was conducted in the Ship Island Pass area. During the study, the catch rate of wood, plastic, and two types of wire traps was determined during two time periods, spring and autumn. Overall, wood traps caught three times as many crabs as wire traps, and slightly more than plastic traps. Considering both catch efficiency and costs, wood traps appear to be best for fishing stone crabs in Mississippi coastal waters.