. The Biological bulletin. Biology; Zoology; Biology; Marine Biology. FUNGUS INFECTION OF THF BLUE CRAB 217 females but remain in the rivers and bay waters along the entire length of the bay where they have matured. The migratory habit of the blue crab endows Maryland seafood dealers with a greater proportion of the soft crab industry because the waters of Maryland and adjoining sections of Virginia are more heavily populated with immature crabs which undergo periodic meltings during their growth. The large population of mature hard crabs in the lower bay is responsible for the crab meat canni
. The Biological bulletin. Biology; Zoology; Biology; Marine Biology. FUNGUS INFECTION OF THF BLUE CRAB 217 females but remain in the rivers and bay waters along the entire length of the bay where they have matured. The migratory habit of the blue crab endows Maryland seafood dealers with a greater proportion of the soft crab industry because the waters of Maryland and adjoining sections of Virginia are more heavily populated with immature crabs which undergo periodic meltings during their growth. The large population of mature hard crabs in the lower bay is responsible for the crab meat canning industry being located primarily at Hampton, Fi<;rRE 2. A segment from the abdomen of a female blue crab. Eggs are borne attached to the longer filaments of the endopodite. (Drawn by R. E. Allen.) To protect the brood stock of blue crabs, the Commission of Fisheries of Vir- ginia maintains a crab sanctuary (Fig. 1) at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. Opti- mum conditions exist here for the development of blue crab eggs and crab fishing is prohibited in these waters during the spawning season. Examinations of egg- bearing crabs from the sanctuary in 1942 indicated that the fungus parasite, Lagenidium callincctcs Couch, occurred there. This discovery aroused a wide in- terest among fishermen and conservationists and raised a question as to the value of protecting sponge crabs in the area. Furthermore, it pointed to a need for locating the waters where infection exists in order to determine whether the fungus is a general or localized parasite. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FUNGUS The description of the life history of Lagenidhiiii callincctcs Couch (1942) has been a valuable aid in this study. In his observations of the organism Couch found that when germination of the zoospore begins, a delicate germ tube is sent through the egg membranes. This tube grows rapidly into a network of branched mycelium that soon fills the entire egg (Fig. 3). From the mycelium, stumpy, thumb-l
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Keywords: ., bookauthorlilliefrankrat, booksubjectbiology, booksubjectzoology
