Distribution and population biology of helmet crab Telmessus cheiragonus (Decapoda: Cheiragonidae) in the northern Okhotsk Sea

Helmet crab Telmessus cheiragonus is a potentially important commercial species dwelling in the Far Eastern Seas of Russia. Biology of its populations in the areas of Shantar Islands and West Kamchatka (northern Okhotsk Sea) is described for the first time, with particular attention to the larval cycle, growth, and sex and size structure. On the shelf of West Kamchatka, the densest aggregations are formed in June, for males and females respectively at the depths of 13–55 m (on average 21.3 ± 3.2 m) under temperature 2.8–6.5 ºC (4.8 ± 0.3 ºC) and at the depths of 16–19 m (17.3 ± 0.9 m) under temperature 4.3–5.2 ºC (4.7 ± 0.3 ºC). At Shantar Islands, the densest aggregations are observed in September at the depths of 13–23 m (18.0 ± 4.8 m) under temperature 8.3–15.5 ºС (11.9 ± 3.6 ºС). For the group growth of crabs at West Kamchatka, the maximum carapace width of females and males is estimated as 66.3 and 82.6 mm, respectively, that is less of this parameter for the males caught to the north and  northwest of Shantar Islands (86.7 mm). Moulting of helmet crab at West Kamchatka occurs in May-June, whereas the longer moult period is expected at Shantar Islands — from May to August. The mean size of sexual maturity is 40.6 mm for females and 40.3 mm for males in the population at West Kamchatka; the crab males at Shantal Islands develop slower and reach sexual maturity at the carapace width of 42.1 mm, on average. 

1. Abramova, E.V., Distribution of crab larvae near the west coast of Kamchatka in June-July, 2002, Izv. Tikhookean. Nauchno-Issled. Inst. Rybn. Khoz. Okeanogr., 2005, vol. 140, pp. 61–70.

2. Artemenkov, D.V., Klinushkin, S.V., Kharitonov, A.V., and Sologub, D.O., Growth features of blue king crab Paralithodes platypus in the Northern part of the Sea of Okhotsk, Ontogenesis, 2022, vol. 53, no. 5, pp. 358–374.

3. Bizikov, V.A., Alexeyev, D.O., Abaev, A.D., Artemenkov, D.V., Afeichuk, L.S., Bakanev, S.V., Borisovets, E.E., Botnev, D.A., Borilko, O.Yu., Buyanovsky, A.I., Vlasenko, R.V., Galanin, D.A., Gon, R.T., Goryanina, S.V., Grigorov, V.G., Drobyazin, E.N., Dulenina, P.A., Zhukovskaya, G.V., Zuev, M.A., Ivanov, P.Yu., Ilyin, O.I., Karpinsky, M.G., Kim, A.Ch., Klinushkin, S.V., Lysenko, A.V., Manushin, I.E., Matushkin, V.B., Metelyov, E.A., Mikhaylova, O.G., Moiseev, S.I., Nizyaev, S.A., Pavlov, V.A., Pereladov M.V., Saenko,E.M., Sennikov, A.M., Sergeenko, V.A., Sleezkin, A.G., Smirnov, I.P., Sologub, D.O., Stesko,A.V., Kharitonov, A.V., Khoroshutina, O.A., Shaginyan, E.R., Shcherbakova, Ju.A., Chalienko, M.O., Chernienko, I.S., and Yuriev, D.N., Fishery resources of commercial invertebrates of Russian seas and it’s use during 2000–2020, Tr. Vses. Nauchno-Issled. Inst. Rybn. Khoz. Okeanogr., 2024, vol. 195, pp. 142–204. doi 10.36038/2307-3497-2024-195-142-204

4. Vinberg, G.G., Linear dimensions and body weight of animals, Zh. Obshch. Biol., 1971, vol. 32, no. 6, pp. 714–723.

5. Grigoryeva, N.I., Spatial distribution of the crab larvae (Decapoda: Anomura et Brachyura) in Possyet Bay (Peter the Great Bay of the Sea of Japan) in 2000–2001, Oceanology, 2009, vol. 49, no. 5, pp. 663–671. doi 10.1134/S0001437009050075

6. Dgebuadze, Yu.Yu., Ekologicheskiye zakonomernosti izmenchivosti rosta ryb (Ecological aspects of fish growth variability), Moscow: Nauka, 2001.

7. Klitin, A.K., On distribution of commercial crabs larvae near south Kuril Islands in 1998 and 1999, Izv. Tikhookean. Nauchno-Issled. Inst. Rybn. Khoz. Okeanogr., 2002, vol. 131, pp. 266–283.

8. Klitin, A.K. and Kochnev, Yu.R., A comparative characteristic of distribution of the five-cornered bearded crab (Telmessus cheiragonus) and hanasaki crab (Paralithodes brevipes) in the SouthKuril Strait, Tr. Sakhalin. Nauchno-Issled. Inst. Rybn. Khoz. Okeanogr., 2004, vol. 6, pp. 211–226.

9. Lysenko, V.N., Peculiarities of the biology of the females blue king crab Paralithodes platypus in northeastern the Okhotsk Sea, Izv. Tikhookean. Nauchno-Issled. Inst. Rybn. Khoz. Okeanogr., 2001, vol. 128, pp. 523–532.

10. Lysenko, V.N. and Gaidaev, V.E., Growth of red king crab Paralithodes camtschaticus in the Northern part of the West Kamchatka shelf, Izv. Tikhookean. Nauchno-Issled. Inst. Rybn. Khoz. Okeanogr., 2005, vol. 143, pp. 119–127.

11. Marin, I.N., Malyy atlas desyatinogikh rakoobraznykh Rossii (Small atlas of decapods of Russia), Moscow: KMK, 2013.

12. Melnik, A.M., Abaev, A.D., Vasilyev, A.G., Klinushkin, S.V., and Metelev, E.A., Kraby i kraboidy severnoy chasti Okhotskogo moray (Crabs and craboids of the northern part of the Sea of Okhotsk), Magadan: Tipografiya, 2014.

13. Mina, M.V., Allometric growth, in Kolichestvennyye aspekty rosta organizmov (Quantitative aspects of the human body), Moscow: Nauka, 1975, pp. 176–180.

14. Mina, M.V. and Klevezal’, G.A., Rost zhivotnykh (Animal growth), Moscow: Nauka, 1976.

15. Moiseev, S.I., Senniko, A.M., and Moiseeva, S.A., Estimating of the maximum life expectancy and natural mortality of the red king crab on the example of the barents sea population, Tr. Vser. Nauchno-Issled. Inst. Rybn. Khoz. Okeanogr., 2023, vol. 194, pp. 7–26. doi 10.36038/2307-3497-2023-194-7-26

16. Moiseeva, S.A. and Moiseev, S.I., Relation between muscular tissue condition in limbs and hemocyanin concentration in the hemolymph of red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) in the barents sea, Vopr. Rybolov., 2008, vol. 9, no. 1(33), pp. 200–217.

17. Moiseeva, S.A. and Moiseev, S.I., Estimation of the proportion of large-sized males of the Kamchatka crab of the Barents Sea population entering molting, based on the level of hemocyanin in the hemolymph, in Tezisy dokl. 10 Vseross. konf. probl. rybopromyslovogo prognozirovaniya (Proc. 10th All-Russ. Conf. Probl. Fish. Prediction), Murmansk: PINRO, 2009, pp. 97–98.

18. Nizyaev, S.A., Bukin, S.D., Klitin, A.K., Perveeva, E.R., Abramova, E.V., and Krutchenko, A.A., Posobiye po izucheniyu promyslovykh rakoobraznykh dal’nevostochnykh morei Rossii (Handbook for the Study of Commercial Crustaceans in the Far Eastern Seas of Russia), Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: SakhNIRO, 2006.

19. Nikolsky, G.V., Teoriya dinamiki stada ryb kak biologicheskaya osnova ratsional’noi ekspluatatsii i vosproizvodstva rybnykh resursov (The Theory of Fish Stock Dynamics as a Biological Basis for the Rational Exploitation and Reproduction of Fish Resources), Moscow: Nauka, 1965.

20. Ryabchenko, E.N., Some data on the biology and fishery of the pentagonal hairy crab in the Tauyskaya Bay of the Sea of Okhotsk, in Sostoyaniye rybokhozyaystvennykh issledovaniy v basseyne severnoy chasti Okhotskogo morya (State of fishery research in the basin of the northern part of the Sea of Okhotsk), Magadan: MagadanNIRO, 2004, no. 2, pp. 118–124.

21. Slizkin, A.G., Atlas-opredelitel’ krabov i krevetok dal’nevostochnykh morey Rossii (Atlasdeterminant of crabs and shrimps of the Far Eastern seas of Russia), Vladivostok: TINRO-Tsentr, 2010.

22. Slizkin, A.G., Bukin, S.D., and Slizkin, A.A., Korean horsehair crab (Erimacrus isenbeckii) from the northkurilkamchatka shelf: biology, distribution, abundance, Izv. Tikhookean. Nauchno-Issled. Inst. Rybn. Khoz. Okeanogr., 2001, vol. 128, pp. 554–570.

23. Stexova, V.V., Some pathologic changes in five-comered bearded crab Telmessus cheiragonus (Tilesius) from the Aniva Bay (Sakhalin Island), Tr. Sakhalin. Nauchno-Issled. Inst. Rybn. Khoz. Okeanogr., 2004, vol. 6, pp. 293–296.

24. Scherbakova, N.V. and Korn, O.M., The period of occurrence, density, and distribution of larvae of three commercial crab species in Peter the Great bay, Sea of Japan, Rus. J. Mar. Biol., 2011, vol. 37, no. 6, pp. 478–488. doi 10.1134/S1063074011060149

25. Froese, R., Cube law, condition factor and weight-length relationships: history, meta-analysis and recommendations, J. Appl. Ichthyol., 2006, vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 241–253. doi 10.1111/j.1439-0426.2006.00805.x

26. Froese, R. and Binohlan, C., Empirical relationships to estimate asymptotic length, length at first maturity and length at maximum yield per recruit in fishes, with a simple method to evaluate length frequency data, J. Fish. Biol., 2000, vol. 56, no. 4, pp. 758–773. doi 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2000. tb00870.x

27. Kamio, M., Matsunaga, S., and Fusetani, N., Observation on the mating behaviour of the helmet crab Telmessus cheiragonus (Brachyura: Cheiragonidae), J. Mar. Biol. Assoc. United Kingdom., 2003, vol. 83, pp. 1007–1013. doi 10.1017/S002531540300821Xh

28. Nagao, J. and Munehara, H.,Annual cycle of testicular maturation in the helmet crab Telmessus cheiragonus, Fish. Sci., 2003, vol. 69, no. 6, pp. 1200–1208. doi 10.1111/j.0919-9268.2003.00746.x

29. Taylor, M.H. and Mildenberger, T.K., Extending electronic length frequency analysis in R, Fisheries management and ecology, 2017, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 330–338. doi 10.1111/fme.12232

30. Weber, D.D. and Miyahara, T., Growth of the adult male king crab Paralithodes camtschatica (Tilesius), Fish. Bull., Washington, 1962, vol. 62. https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=254358/DecaNeteds. DecaNet. Cheiragonidae Ortmann, 1893. World Register of Marine Species. Cited January, 10, 2025.