King Crabs of the World Biology and Fisheries Management

With species existing in all subpolar seas, king crabs are one of the most valuable seafoods. Major fluctuations in their abundance have stimulated a flurry of research and a rapid expansion of the scientific literature in the last decade. King Crabs of the World: Biology and Fisheries Management consolidates extensive knowledge on the biology, systematics, anatomy, life history, and fisheries of king crabs and presents it in a single volume. This book is the first comprehensive scientific reference devoted to the biology and fisheries of king crabs.

The first part of the book describes king crabs and their place in the world, covering geographic distribution, depth and temperature ranges, and maps of known habitats. Chapters examine phylogenetic relationships, evolutionary history and phylogeography, internal and external anatomy of king crabs, and the history of North Pacific fisheries. There is also a chapter that presents a comprehensive overview of diseases and other anomalies of king crabs. The second part of the book describes the life history and biology of various king crab species, including embryonic development and environmental factors, the development and biology of larvae, the ecology and biology of juvenile stages, reproductive strategies of fished species, and the growth and feeding of king crabs and their ecological impacts.

The third part of the book discusses human and environmental interactions with king crabs through fisheries, management, and ecosystems. Topics include the impacts of fishing?bycatch, handling, and discard mortality?king crab aquaculture and stock enhancement, and king crabs from various regions such as Southern Hemisphere waters, the Barents Sea, and Alaska. A chapter synthesizing various aspects of king crab biology provides an ecosystem-scale perspective and the final chapter presents the author?s outlook on the future of king crab research and populations.

King Crabs of the World: Species and Distributions. Systematics of King Crabs. Phylogeography of Red King Crab: Implications for Management and Stock Enhancement. Anatomy of King Crabs. History of King Crab Fisheries with Special Reference to the North Pacific Ocean: Development, Maturity, and Senescence. Diseases of King Crabs and Other Anomalies. Embryo Development and Hatching of King Crabs. Development and Biology of King Crab Larvae. Biology and Ecology of Juvenile King Crabs. Reproductive Ecology of Commercially Important Lithodid Crabs. Growth, Molting, and Feeding of King Crabs. Impacts of Fishing on King Crabs: Bycatch, Injuries, and Mortality. Aquaculture and Stock Enhancement of King Crabs. Southern King Crabs. Red King Crab in the Barents Sea. Red King Crab in Russia: Populations, Fisheries, and Symbionts. King Crab Stock Assessments in Alaska. Modeling Larval Advection and Spatial Population Structure in King Crabs: Interactions among Life-History Requirements, Extrinsic Forcing, and Source–Sink Dynamics. Future of King Crabs. Index.

Dr. Bradley G. Stevens received his Ph.D. in fisheries science from the University of Washington in 1982. From 1984 to 2006, he worked for the National Marine Fisheries Service in Kodiak, Alaska, where he studied ecology and reproductive biology of commercial crab species, including king, Tanner, and snow crabs. In Alaska, he pioneered the use of submersibles and ROVs for the study of crab ecology and behavior, and initiated king crab aquaculture studies after a sabbatical in Japan. He is currently a professor of marine science at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, where he serves as distinguished research scientist for the NOAA-funded Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center. Dr. Stevens’ research interests are the ecology and early life history of crustaceans and molluscs, with an emphasis on reproductive biology and postlarval processes.