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Blue crabs; Callinectes sapidus; ontogenetic changes; habitat structure; habitat use; settlement; recruitment; shallow-water refuge; seagrass beds
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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Ontogenetic Changes In Habitat Use By Postlarvae And Young Juveniles Of The Blue Crab, Ra Pardieck, R J. Orth, R. J. Diaz, Rom Lipcius
Ontogenetic Changes In Habitat Use By Postlarvae And Young Juveniles Of The Blue Crab, Ra Pardieck, R J. Orth, R. J. Diaz, Rom Lipcius
VIMS Articles
Changing habitat requirements are evident during the developmental cycles of many species. In this field investigation, we attempted to distinguish between depth (shallow vs deep), habitat structure (seagrass species), and study site as factors influencing the distribution and abundance of postlarvae and juvenile blue crabs Callinectes sapidus in the Chesapeake Bay. Deep (greater than or equal to 70 cm mean low water [MLW]) and shallow (less than or equal to 50 cm MLW) suction samples in monospecific Zostera marina and Ruppia maritima beds were taken in the York River, a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. Our studies revealed ontogenetic changes …