Human exploitation of male fiddler crab claws: behavioural consequences and implications for conservation

Shake it off: exploring drivers and outcomes of autotomy in marine invertebrates

“…However, various studies have reported high rates of disease and mortality in forcibly de-clawed crabs (i.e. in crabs whose claws have been amputated; [121][122][123]), suggesting that they may not be re-integrating into their ecosystems as seamlessly as originally thought. To mitigate this, industry experts in various fisheries (including the stone crab, brown crab, fiddler crab and Jonah crab fisheries) have pioneered the use of inducing claw autotomy as an alternative protocol for de-clawing via amputation [124,125].…”

“…The claw-only harvesting of decapod crustaceans [ 121 ] was implemented to prevent the removal of mature organisms from a population, under the assumption that they can regenerate and be fished multiple times [ 122 ]. However, various studies have reported high rates of disease and mortality in forcibly de-clawed crabs (i.e.…”

Missing claws in a commercial catch of the American lobster: Implications for life history and the fishery

“…Chelipeds are the main appendages used during foraging and intra-and interspecific interactions, and are therefore, the most susceptible to injury or limb autotomy (Smith and Hines, 1991a;Vye et al, 1997;Mariappan et al, 2000). Claw loss can also be a result of harsh environmental conditions, such as ice scour (Scarratt, 1973), difficult moults where claws become stuck in the old exoskeleton (Chittleborough, 1975;Maginnis, 2006), and fishing practices including damage by fishing gear, rough handling (Scarratt, 1973;Kelly, 1991), and even claw harvest as in the fisheries for Florida stone crab (Mennippe mercenaria) and the fiddler crab (Uca tangeri) in the United States (Ehrhardt, 1990;Wilber, 1995;Oliveira et al, 2000;Patterson et al, 2009). …”

“…For example, in the fisheries of the Florida stone crab and the fiddler crab, only the claws are harvested and the individuals are returned to the sea to allow them to regenerate their claws for a later harvest (Ehrhardt, 1990;Oliveira et al, 2000). In other fisheries, individuals with missing or regenerating claws are less commercially desirable and often retrieve a lower price per weight compared to intact individuals (Krouse, 1976).…”