Growth Model for Alaska King Crab (<i>Paralithodes camtschatica</i>)

Abstract

A stochastic growth model is presented to represent the growth in carapace length of the Alaska king crab (Paralithodes camtschatica Tilesius). Two submodels are combined to yield the growth model: (1) growth increment as a function of premolt length and molting history and (2) a probabilistic model of frequency of molting by age, premolt length, and molting history. The results of a computer simulation of the growth model are presented. Frequency of ages at various lengths and frequency of lengths at each age are given. Frequency of molting during early life was found to greatly influence growth rate. Key words: king crab, growth, length, stochastic model growth increment, molting, growth model