Nursery grounds of the commercially important shrimp Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis (Latreille, 1817) (Decapoda, Penaeoidea): Comparison of the population structure between two periods

Abstract

This study compared the population structure of Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis in two distinct periods in Fortaleza Bay, southeastern Brazil. Individuals were monthly sampled in November 1988-October 1989 (period 1) and in November 2008-October 2009 (period 2). In period 1, 80 juveniles were found (36 males and 44 females), whereas in period 2 were found 226 juveniles (62 males and 164 females). The individuals from period 2 were smaller (males: 17.0 ± 3.0 mm; females: 16.4 ± 3.3 mm) than those from period 1 (males: 22.1 ± 6.4 mm; females: 21.7 ± 6.3 mm). This reduction in body size throughout the study period might have been a consequence of an improper conservation management in the area up to 2008. In both sampling periods, the recruitment occurred in summer; however, in period 2, there was a higher abundance of juveniles in autumn too. This might be related to a higher precipitation caused by the El Niño South Oscillation (ENSO) in 2009. The increased precipitation might have prolonged the reproductive period and, consequently, the recruitment.