Interannual Variability of the Reproductive Period of the Brown Shrimp, Farfantepenaeus Californiensis (Holmes, 1900) (Decapoda, Natantia)

Abstract

Interannual changes in the reproductive pattern of the brown shrimp, Farfantepenaeus californiensis, a commercially important marine crustacean, were analysed as a function of sea water temperature. Daily samples of gravid females from 1979 through 1994 and monthly sea water temperatures were examined. The results show a high interannual variability of the reproductive period with two patterns; one in which spawning occurs throughout the year, the other with two peaks of mass spawning. The rst of the two peaks is the more intense, occurring from March to May; the other is in October and November and is less intense. The extended spawning period occurs under warmer conditions and is probably associated with El Niño events. The pattern with two peaks is associated with average sea water temperatures. Occurrence of one pattern or the other may have signi cant consequences for managing this shery. RESUMENLos cambios interanuales en el patrón reproductivo del camarón café Farfantepenaeus californiensis, un crustáceo escencialmente marino, fueron analizados en función de la temperatura del agua de mar. Se analizaron muestreos diarios de hembras ovígeras y temperatura promedio mensual del agua de mar desde 1979 a 1994. Los resultados muestran, una alta variabilidad interanual del periodo reproductivo con dos patrones: uno en el que el desove se efectua a todo lo largo del año 6 / To whom all correspondence should be sent. Fax

Reproductive pattern of the South American endemic shrimp Artemesia longinaris (Decapoda: Penaeoidea), off São Paulo State, Brazil

“…Interannual variability of temperature can cause changes in the reproductive pattern of a species in the same zone (Leal-Gaxiola et al 2001).…”