Population, Reproductive and Fishery Dynamics of Spotted Box Crab (Calappa philargius), a New Claw-Only Fishery Species, in the Southern Taiwan Strait, China

The spotted box crab Calappa philargius (Calappidae) is an increasingly consumed species in China, mainly sourced from a claw-only fishery. This species has not been well-characterized in the literature, thus study is warranted to inform sustainable management approaches. Here we report on the first in-depth overview on biology and fishery dynamics of C. philargius in the southern Taiwan Strait of China. Whole body crabs (N = 1009) were collected monthly from January to December 2019 from trawlers, operating in the southern Taiwan Strait; sample collection was absent from MayJuly because of the national fishing moratorium regulation. Sex ratio, growth pattern, size at maturity and fecundity were estimated. The overall male: female ratio was 1: 1.47, significantly differing from the 1: 1 (p 0.5). Capture and trade data of C. philargius using trawl and trap fishing gears were documented to characterize claw-only fishery dynamics for future research and sustainable use.