Factors causing mortality in North Carolina's soft-shell blue crab industry were quantified and identified at 11 crab shedding systems across the state. Operators of crab shedding systems who shed peeler crabs (pre-molt crabs) that they had caught themselves (self-caught peeler crabs) experienced significantly lower crab mortality rates than operators who shed peelers that they had bought from different sources (purchased-peeler crabs). Molt stage had a significant effect on the mortality rates of self-caught peeler crabs, as early molt stage crabs (white-line peelers) suffered significantly higher mortality rates than late molt stage crabs (red-line peelers). Purchased male crabs experienced significantly higher mortality rates than purchased females crabs. Water quality did not have a significant effect on crab mortality. Male peeler crab mortality was not significantly affected by the presence or absence of female red-line peeler crabs. Male red-line peelers experienced significantly longer times to molt when male crab density was high. Results of this study may lead to improvements in crab shedding technology, increased profits, and better fishery management practices.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:NCSU/oai:NCSU:etd-07232002-164130 |
| Date | 07 August 2002 |
| Creators | Chaves, Juan Carlos |
| Contributors | David Eggleston |
| Publisher | NCSU |
| Source Sets | North Carolina State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/theses/available/etd-07232002-164130/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to NC State University or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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