Five external morphometric characters and size at maturity in carapace
width of the swimming crab, Protunus sanguinolentus, were examined
and compared between sampling groups obtained from the Keelung Shelf
and Taiwan Bank. The external morphometric characters used in the present
study are: carapace width, carapace length, distance between two sides of
first spine, fifth abdominal segment width, fifth abdominal segment length,
chela length, chela width and movable dactylus length. Two statistical approaches
were applied, i.e. multivariate morphometric analysis was used to
compare external morphometric characters and a likelihood ratio test was
used to compare maturity curves. Both results obtained show significant
differences between the two sampling groups. The size at maturity was represented
by LM50 and estimated theoretically from maturity curves, indicating
that LM50 for females is 97.00 mm CW in Keelung Shelf, and 82.36
mm CW in Taiwan Bank, whilst for males it is 92.62 mm CW in both areas.
The results of statistical comparisons are coincident that external morphometric
characters of female Protunus sanguinolentus between the waters
off the Keelung Shelf and the Taiwan Bank are significantly different
