Shell Lenl'th- Meat Weight Relationships of Ocean Quaho is. Arctica is t.and£.ca. from the Middle Atlantic Shelf

• Main Authors: Steven A. Murawski, Predric M. Serchuk, Marjorie C. Aelion
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Long Island; Ocean quahog
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.423.4402; http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/publications/series/whlrd/whlrd7838.pdf

Shell length- drained meat weight relations were calculated from 2,564 ocean quahog ~ Arctica is7.a.ndica., samples taken from the Middle Atlantic shelf during January-February 1978. Significant differences between regression equations were evident among three sub-areas (southem New England-Long Island, New Jersey, Delmarva). No consistent trends were noted when depth was the major criterion of separation. An increase in relative meat weight for similar sized quahogs along a north to south cline may be indicative of the more stable thermal regime in southem areas, or related to density dependent factors. The overall shell length (L, mm)- meat weight (W, g) regression equation for all Middle Atlantic specimens is (r • 0.9635): loge W • 9.589618 + 2.888016 loge L. Allometric growth between shell length and meat weight was