Population Studies of the Blue Crabs of Espiritu Santo-San Antonio Bay System - Studies of the Blue Crab Populations of the Texas Coast

Blue crab sample catches ranged in abundance from 14.2 per sample in September 1961 to 1.4 per sample in December 1962. Comparison of male and female catches indicate that female crabs were slightly more abundant throughout the study period. Shrimp trawls produced the most consistent catches of all the types of sampling gear used. Samplings indicate central San Antonio Bay has the most consistent population of any area sampled in San Antonio and Espiritu Santo Bays. Blue crab modes are fairly close in size from station to station most months of the study.