Mating Dynamics of the Snow Crab (Chionoecetes Opilio, Brachyura: Majidae)

Abstract

Snow crab Chionecetes opilio is a common inhabitant of the deep bottoms of the Northwest Atlantic, the Bering Sea and the Sea of Japan. Because of its size and abundance it supports important fisheries around the world that are dependent on the fluctuations of the populations (Davidson et al. 1985). Despite its economic importance, there are still gaps in the knowledge of the biology of C. opilio. In particular, patterns of sperm storage and paternity remain unclear in a species where females can mate with several males and have the capacity to store their sperm in paired spermathecae.