Experimental Crab Tagging - Studies of Blue Crab Populations of the Texas Coast

Blue crabs tagged by various methods were placed in holding pens for observation. With the information obtained from these experiments and a literature survey, it was decided to use two types of tags on crabs: (1) a Petersen disc attached either through the split line of the crab or to its carapace and (2) a spaghetti dart tag in the muscular portion of the swimming leg. Three hundred and forty-one crabs were tagged and released at four different locations in the Galveston Bay system for life - history studies. Of these crabs, 122 were tagged with Petersen disc, 219 with spaghetti dart tags. There were eleven recoveries, all males. Eight of these were tagged with Petersen disc and three with spaghetti dart tags. Tag returns indicated random movement in the bay during the summer with some Gulfward movement. Fall returns in all cases indicated Gulfward movement.