Atlantic Lyre Crab Commercial Catch Data from the St. Lawrence

Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Quebec region collects biological data on Atlantic lyre crab (Hyas araneus) from commercial catches in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. The dataset includes metadata, sample weight, specimen weight, shell width, condition, sex, and right claw height for specimens measured. It offers spatio-temporal coverage from 2002 to the present.

Use Cases

• Analyze shell width and specimen weight relationships to model crab growth rates across different fishing areas.
• Assess population structure by examining sex ratios and specimen condition data from sampled commercial catches.
• Investigate potential size-based fishing patterns using shell width and right claw height measurements over time.
• Use sample weight and specimen weight data to estimate biomass and yield for stock assessment models.

Strengths

• Data collection spans from 2002 to the present, providing a multi-decade time series for analysis.
• Includes specific biological measurements such as shell width, sex, and right claw height for demographic studies.
• Sourced from a government scientific program (DFO) specialized in commercial fisheries biological sampling.

Limitations

• Confidentiality protections have simplified or excluded data fields like exact capture date and vessel information.
• Entries with only one vessel for a given year and fishing area were excluded, potentially biasing spatial coverage.
• The dataset's completeness and sample size (row count) are not specified in the provided description.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Quebec Region.

Collection Method

Biological sampling of commercial catches at wharf or at sea by specialized DFO staff.

Time Range

2002 to present.

Freshness

Updated to the present; last metadata update was 2026-03-24.

Geography

Estuary and northern Gulf of St. Lawrence.