Population Studies of the Blue Crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, in the Aransas Bay System - Studies of the Blue Crab Populations of the Texas Coast

Ten-foot trawl samples in 1962 has a lower crab catch by 65.6 per cent compared to 1960 figures. No data were gathered in 1961 as work was concentrated on habitat studies. Commercial crab production for three years starting in April 1960 averaged 1,451,240 pounds per year in the Aransas area. A total of 4,355,720 pounds of crabs were harvested commercially during those three years. Whether the crab fishery in Aransas Bay can be maintained cannot be ascertained at this time. When more records become available through more intensive sampling, it may be possible to predict the annual crab catch and predict a rise or fall in abundance.