The Lunar Delusion - a final analysis

[tattoo]

Me too. 

[long green crabber]

Wow. Jack, again I don't mean to single you out, but can't you understand that this belief derives from the same source as astrology? If not the sun's reflection, or gravitational forces, what is it that you imagine is impelling a tiny arthropod's biological behavior? Magical moonbeams? What else? Can't you see how silly this appears, along with the delusions of gypsy fortune-tellers and astrological psychics?

Final rebuttal, and I give up (cue applause):

1. Crabs do not shed in winter. To those of you who will claim something like, "oh they can't see the moon..." there is a simple reply:

Fact: Crabs shed all year long in warm climates.

[This is the whole point! The crab molt is a factor of temperature and food supply, not the moon!]

a) How do you know they cannot see winter moonlight? Crabs burrow into the mud in the winter months but their antennae, eyes and mouthparts remain slightly above the surface bottom to maintain gill circulation. In the clear, cold, winter water some light would penetrate. Do you seriously imagine that a wintering crab "sees" a full moon, jumps up, and sheds her shell?

Fact: No one said crabs “sees” a full moon.  We said crabs shed more on a full moon (cycle).  They do not see the moon in my basement.

[OK, if the crab cannot see moonlight, what is the force you conceive is acting upon the crab?]

4. It is an indisputable fact that even during the full moon, you can catch crabs in all states of shell hardness. Therefore, the moon cannot be the sole influence (if at all) on crab molting.

Fact: You do catch “crabs in all states of shell hardness”.  Just you catch more peelers During the full and new moon cycles.  Less hard crabs cause the males are looking for the Sally’s.

[Exactly. The hard males are still there, you just don't see as many because they are...er...busy with other things. That should prove to you that the moon is irrelevant, or these males would be busy shedding instead of...er...shagging. ]

Fact: During these lunar cycles we experience “spring tides”.  The is more habitat available to support more sloughs.  More places to hide.  Walk the salt marshes after a spring tide and you will (used to) find crabs way back up in the marsh grasses.
 
[Let's have total agreement on this. But this only proves that more shedders can be observed by the inherently biased viewer simply because the crabs are more accessible.]

Question:  How many peeler pots do you fish?  How many have you pulled in your life time?  How often do you fish peeler pots? Do you hard crab pot?

[I used to spend entire summers on Long Island, crabbing the creeks and bays on the southern shore. We used wire ring handlines baited with killies, gigged eels, and we scooped softshells every day because my aunt really knew how to cook them. But this too is merely a personal anecdote - not evidence - to support the biological/physiological/physical facts discussed at length in the first post. BTW I accept your invitation to join you on a pot run - please bmail me when you can have me over, and thanks. ]

A wonderful description of the molting process was written to me by another member in a Bmail: the best way to think of the crab shed is the way children change clothes - when they outgrow them, they need a larger size, and not before. A crab will not shed unless she is growing, period, and the moon has nothing to do with this plainly physiological process.

  i don`t know Latin either,but i member sumtin bout 'ad nostrum' of course my spelling must be wrong,too.       lgc   

[CrabDog]

Full moon ............Harvest moon...............Half  moon......... ITS ALL GOOD           

OMG,,,man down....   

Man you need help... but that there was pretty frickin funny though.......

........Cdog

[CrabDog]

As for the full moon... I think it affects wildlife including deer, possum, ground hogs ( except Phil ) mice, rats, squirrels, chipmunks, ducks, geese, cows, dogs, cats, toads, frogs, quail, grouse, bobcats, turkeys,
crows, tweety birds, fish of all sorts, and yes crabs....  and if you don't believe me.. go wake up the nearest hibernating grizzly bear and ask him if the lunar phases affect him.... 
Man another slow winter day and everyone is jonesing to go do something.  BTW, yesterday was a beauty.
70 degrees the first week of february.  I think the crabs will be up to the wye landing by april.... 

.............Cdog

[tattoo]

let's keep our fingers crossed. Or does the moon have an effect on that too. 

[DOMNIKDYL]

  i don`t know Latin either,but i member sumtin bout 'ad nostrum' of course my spelling must be wrong,too.       lgc  

Hey Paul, I think you meant ad nauseum 

[DOMNIKDYL]

Pinchy, old pal, irregardless (I know that is one of your favorite words) of what you believe and may try to convince others to believe, it simply does not matter.  People believe in ghosts, UFO's or any number of irrational things, but you cannot convince them otherwise.  I, for one, believe the crabbing is better the week before and after the full moon (more so the week before).  Anecdotal, may be,  but the bushel basket nor the clock lie.

[long green crabber]

Hey Paul, I think you meant ad nauseum 

  didn`t offer that on spell check.thanks  lgc

[Pinchy]

irregardless

  Adversus solem ne loquitor...stultorum infinitus est numerus.

[tattoo]

Here we go again. WHAT. 

[Seanile]

irregardless is a double negative.  Some folks don't think it should be in use as a "real word".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irregardless

[Solow]

    


cracking me up!

[tattoo]

  :laugh:me too.

[horsefly]

irregardless is a double negative.  Some folks don't think it should be in use as a "real word".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irregardless

And you're right as it is not proper english. Spell Check(with dictionary) please

[long green crabber]

Adversus solem ne loquitor...stultorum infinitus est numerus.

i read 'if your so dam smart,why ain`t ya rich?   lgc

[long green crabber]

Adversus solem ne loquitor...stultorum infinitus est numerus.

  i `m gonna ask steve to only allow english for us dummies.     lgc 

[Pinchy]

And you're right as it is not proper english. Spell Check(with dictionary) please

DOMNIKDYL wrote "irregardless" as a somewhat inside joke; that said, de asini umbra disceptare!

I'm gonna ask steve to only allow English for us dummies.     lgc 

Bene, cum Latine nescias, nolo manus meas in te maculare.

[madcrabber1113]

DOMNIKDYL wrote "irregardless" as a somewhat inside joke; that said, de asini umbra disceptare!


Bene, cum Latine nescias, nolo manus meas in te maculare.

[tattoo]

  OK i give up. 

[CRABGUY]

irregardless is a double negative.  Some folks don't think it should be in use as a "real word".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irregardless

I AINT LOOKIN THAT ONE UP
ON THAT NOTE

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