Ecology Summary - Chionoecetes bairdi

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Ecology of Chionoecetes bairdi

Main Ref.	Stone, R.P., M.M. Masuda and J.E. Clark, 2003
Remarks	Found in continental shelf. Epibenthic (Ref. 8740). Typically inhabits muddy substrates but also on sandy bottoms or on gravel in shallow waters. It feeds on clams, other crabs, barnacles, shrimps, polychaetes, ophiuroids, and fish. It is preyed on by demersal fish, skates, larger crabs, octopus, and sea otter. Migration: Offshore migration with age, primiparous females mate in shallow waters while multiparous females mate in deeper waters. Males move upward into the littoral zone during spring molt. Diseases: (1) Bitter crab disease, caused by a dinoflagellate of the genus Hematodinium; the dinoflagellate replaces the crab's blood cells, causing the shell to turn pinkish-ivory in color and imparts a bitter taste to the crabmeat. (2) Black mat syndrome, a fungal infection; black tar-like covering the crab's shell, also prevents molting and may cause death (Ref. 101937).

Main Ref.

Stone, R.P., M.M. Masuda and J.E. Clark, 2003

Remarks

Found in continental shelf. Epibenthic (Ref. 8740). Typically inhabits muddy substrates but also on sandy bottoms or on gravel in shallow waters. It feeds on clams, other crabs, barnacles, shrimps, polychaetes, ophiuroids, and fish. It is preyed on by demersal fish, skates, larger crabs, octopus, and sea otter. Migration: Offshore migration with age, primiparous females mate in shallow waters while multiparous females mate in deeper waters. Males move upward into the littoral zone during spring molt. Diseases: (1) Bitter crab disease, caused by a dinoflagellate of the genus Hematodinium; the dinoflagellate replaces the crab's blood cells, causing the shell to turn pinkish-ivory in color and imparts a bitter taste to the crabmeat. (2) Black mat syndrome, a fungal infection; black tar-like covering the crab's shell, also prevents molting and may cause death (Ref. 101937).

Aquatic zones / Water bodies

	Marine - Neritic	Marine - Oceanic	Brackishwater	Freshwater
Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies	supra-littoral zone littoral zone sublittoral zone	epipelagic mesopelagic epipelagic abyssopelagic hadopelagic	estuaries/lagoons/brackish seas mangroves marshes/swamps	rivers/streams lakes/ponds caves exclusively in caves

Highighted items on the list are where Chionoecetes bairdi may be found.

Habitat

Substrate	Benthic: mobile; Soft Bottom: sand; mud; Hard Bottom: rocky;
Substrate Ref.	Urban, D. and D. Hart, 1999
Special habitats
Special habitats Ref.

Associations

Ref.	Hansen, H.S.B., 2015
Associations	parasitism;
Associated with
Association remarks
Parasitism	inside host (The parasitic dinoflagellate Hematodinium sp. lives in the hemolymph (blood), causing a condition called bitter crab disease (BCD).)

feeding

Feeding type	plants/detritus+animals (troph. 2.2-2.79)
Feeding type Ref.	Jewett, S.C. and H.M. Feder, 1983
Feeding habit	hunting macrofauna (predator)
Feeding habit Ref.	Jewett, S.C. and H.M. Feder, 1983

Trophic Level(s)

Estimation method	original sample		unfished population		Remark
Estimation method	Troph	s.e.	Troph	s.e.	Remark
From diet composition	3.08	0.49			Troph of juv./adults.
From individual food items	3.28	0.49			Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine.
Ref.	Jewett, S.C. and H.M. Feder, 1983

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