California Sea Grant College Program

We have attempted to determine the environmental factors that may regulate the year-class strength of the invasive mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis. Specifically, we are attempting to correlate the environmental factors that are involved in crab larvae (zoeae) survivorship, thus determining the numbers of mitten crab adults that occur in successive years. This type III life history suggests that under optimal conditions, the more zoeae survive, more adults will occur in 3-4 years.