Seasonal distribution of red king crab in Zelenaya Inlet (Murmansk coast, Barents Sea)

In this study we analyze a spatial distribution and abundance of red king crab Paralithodes camtschaticus (Tilesius 1815) in different seasons in the semi-enclosed bay by diving observations. The study was performed in Zelenaya Inlet, which is a small fjord type bay, protected from waves by a shallow sill and 2 small islands on the entrance. The abundance of red king crab in Zelenaya Inlet ranged from 0,17 to 1,8 ind./100 m² in August 2015, and between 0,34 and 4,17 ind./100 m² in May 2018. Average abundance was found to be 4 times higher in May than in August. We suppose that this difference in crab abundance is related to migration and redistribution of crab in the I nlet, but not to an actual population increase. Inside the Inlet mostly juveniles were found, on the outer transect only mature females were present in August, and both mature females and males occurred in May. Our data support a hypothesis that semi-enclosed bays are very important for red king crab reproduction in the Barents Sea and indicate possible sources of error in estimates of red king crab abundance due to migrations and different behavior in different seasons.

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