Population Studies of the Blue Crabs of the Lower Laguna Madre - Studies of the Blue Crab Populations of the Texas Coast

Megalops larvae were very abundant in the Gulf surf in the fall of 1961. Spawning probably occurred offshore during this period. An average of 50 juvenile crabs per 15-minute trawl was taken in November 1961, compared to an average of 11 crabs per trawl for the entire study period. This peak of juvenile crabs resulted from the larvae in the Gulf surf entering the bay and molting. Mating occurred in the bay in July and August 1962 and spawning occurred during the same months in the Gulf. Larval crabs were not found in the Gulf surf in 1962 and juvenile crabs were only one-tenth as abundant in the bay in 1962 as in 1961. The reason for this lack of larval and juvenile crabs in 1962 is not known.