Length, Growth and Reproduction of Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896) in Köyceğiz Lagoon
Project no. 1151 · Status: Kapanmış · 2016
Summary
The objectives of the present study were to determine length-weight and length-length relationship, and spawning period of blue crab (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896) in Köyceğiz Lagoon. Sampling period of the study was between June 2017 and May 2018. A total of 1,277 blue crab individuals were sampled. It was determined 67% (n=860) of the sampled individuals were male and 33% (n=417) were female. The sex ratio (females:males) was determined as 1:2.06. Carapace width (CW) of the female individuals were found to be between 10.67 and 19.67 cm and the mean width was 15.48?0.08 cm ((CW) ¯?SE). It was calculated that carapace width of the male individuals were between 8.69 and 18.84 cm and the mean value of 13.81?0.06 cm. It was concluded that the carapace width and weight of female and male individuals were statistically different. Therefore, the calculations were made separately for male and female individuals, but not for the total samples. It was calculated that there was a relationship between carapace width and weight of female and male individuals were W=0.8030×CW1.99 (R2=0.73) and W=0.4415CW2.35 (R2=0.83), respectively. There was a linear relationship between carapace width (CW) and carapace length (CL) as CL=0.2924×CW+1.7511 (R2=0.85) for female and CL=0.3483×CW+1.4669 (R2=0.87) for male. It was determined that Köyceğiz blue crab was two spawning period. The first period was in May but it was determined that a very small number of female individuals lay eggs during this spawning period (0.9%). It was determined that the second and the most ovulating period was between August and September.