Crustaceans - Marine Arthropods
The Crustacean Fisheries group is responsible for providing information on blue crab, stone crab, shrimp, and horseshoe crab fisheries in Florida.
Callinectes sapidus, "tasty, beautiful swimmers," are
common throughout Florida. Blue crabs are popular in both
recreational and commercial fisheries.
Horseshoe crabs are important to both coastal communities and human
health. Their eggs are an essential source of food for migratory
shorebirds and some fish species.
The Spiny Lobster program is responsible for monitoring and
developing models of South Florida's spiny lobster populations and
for conducting research on spiny lobsters.
Scientists in the Crustacean Fisheries program are determining the
effectiveness of bycatch-reduction devices in shrimp trawls and are
using genetic techniques to determine the stock structure of wild
shrimp stocks in Florida.
Two stone crab species are found in Florida. They are closely related, readily interbreed, and are managed as one species by the fishing industry.
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