Environmental factors influencing the reproduction of an estuarine penaeid population and implications for management

Crisp, J.A., Loneragan, N.R., Tweedley, J.R.ORCID: 0000-0002-2749-1060, D’Souza, F.M.L. and Poh, B. (2018) Environmental factors influencing the reproduction of an estuarine penaeid population and implications for management. Fisheries Management and Ecology, 25 (3). pp. 203-219.

Abstract

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.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Murdoch Affiliation:	School of Veterinary and Life Sciences
Publisher:	Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Copyright:	© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd
URI:	http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/41164

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