Crabs kept in these floats have to be watched day and night - hence the electric lights - while they change from hard to soft crabs. During the shedding they are known by the stages they are in - green peeler, peeler, buster, and, finally, soft crab. In keeping his record of the crabs he buys, the pound manager never uses the real name of the crabber, just the nickname. The record book at the Tangier Island pound bears these names: Blue Tail, Pop Corn, Puck, Froggie, Preacher, Whistle, Gutch, Gitt.
