Sexual Maturity of Deep-Sea Red Crabs Chaceon quinquedens in the Mid-Atlantic Bight

Deep-sea red crabs (Chaceon quinquedens) support a small fishery in the deeper waters of Southern New England (>400 m). As lobster fisheries continue to decline in Southern New England, fishers may begin redirecting their effort towards alternative fisheries such as red crab, emphasizing the need for biological information usable for management. Previous studies of reproductive biology were based on small samples (<35).  We measured 788 crabs collected from the Hudson and Norfolk Canyons in January 2011.  Minor differences in size distribution occurred between sampling sites, mostly due to depth.  Gonads from 96 female and 72 male crabs were examined and preserved to estimate the size of 50% sexual maturity (SM₅₀) for male and female crabs.  These data can be used to update and improve management measures for red crab.