The history and landing trends of the market crab fishery in California are discussed. Fishing has taken place in five areas with the San Francisco and Eureka-Crescent areas being the most important. In recent years the San Francisco area landings have declined and the Eureka-Crescent City area has provided the bulk of the landings. Life history studies reveal that female crabs spawn between October and December and carry between 1-2 million eggs. The larvae pass through five zoeal and one megalops stage. Sexual maturity in the market crab is reached at a size of about 4 inches at about 1 to 1-1/2 years of age. Legal size of 6-1/4 inches in width is generally reached in 11 to 13 molts at an age of 2.5 to 3.5 years. Success of larval survival appears to be the reason for low or high crab abundance affecting the landings. Unfavorable oceanographic conditions for the larvae as well as pollution may be causing the continued decline in the San Francisco area. Research efforts have been directed to learning more of the fluctuations in abundance of various segments of the resource. We have conducted trawling, trapping and tagging of crabs in both central and northern California. Water quality studies in relation to crab and larval survival are planned. Current season (1972-73) landings are expected to equal or exceed slightly last year's record low of 320,000 pounds in the San Francisco area and landings are not expected to reach 2.5 million pounds in the Eureka-Crescent City area. An encouraging sign is the strong showing of the 1972 year class in northern California. However, these crabs probably will not contribute to the fishery until the 1974-75 season.
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