Contribution to the Life History of the Deep-Sea King Crab, Lithodes couesi , in the Gulf of Alaska

Lithodes couesi is a deepwater relative of the commercially important Alaskan king crabs, Paralithodes camtschatica, P. platypus , and L. aequispina . Compared with the Paralithodes species, which are primarily restricted to the continental shelf, L. couesi displays a variety of features which appear to be adaptations for life in deeper water on the continental slope, including elongated legs, red coloration, inflated branchial chambers, asynchronous spawning, and large eggs. Fecundity of L. couesi increases asymptotically with carapace length according to the relationship E = 4,329 - 3.19 x 10 super(9) e super(-0.172L). The size of 50% maturity is reached at 91.4 mm for males and at 80.2 mm for females.