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Environmental factors influencing the reproduction of an estuarine penaeid population and implications for management
Author(s) -
Crisp J. A.,
Loneragan N. R.,
Tweedley J. R.,
D’Souza F. M. L.,
Poh B.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
fisheries management and ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1365-2400
pISSN - 0969-997X
DOI - 10.1111/fme.12278
Subject(s) - estuary , fishery , carapace , fecundity , salinity , fishing , spawn (biology) , population , bay , reproduction , biology , environmental science , geography , ecology , crustacean , demography , archaeology , sociology
This study determined environmental factors influencing the reproductive dynamics of a recreationally fished penaeid Metapenaeus dalli Racek in the Swan–Canning Estuary, south‐western Australia, during a restocking programme. Prawns were collected from nearshore (<2 m deep) and offshore waters (>2 m deep) every lunar month from October 2013 to March 2016. Reproduction occurred between November and March, when water temperature was >17°C, salinity >25 and stratification (bottom–surface salinity) <3. Densities of gravid M. dalli were highest in November of each year when 0+ females matured (19 mm; ~56% asymptotic length) and were highest in the Lower Canning Estuary. Individual fecundity ranged from 34,000 (18.1 mm carapace length [CL]) to 132,000 ova (27.1 mm CL). Egg production peaked in December/January and differed among years, being greatest in 2015/2016. These results suggest that closing fishing between November and December would protect breeding aggregations of M. dalli in inshore waters.