MEPS

Marine Ecology Progress Series

MEPS is a leading hybrid research journal on all aspects of marine, coastal and estuarine ecology. Priority is given to outstanding research that advances our ecological understanding.

Online: ISSN 1616-1599

Print: ISSN 0171-8630

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps

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Volume contents
Mar Ecol Prog Ser 159:133-141 (1997)

Seasonal and spatial mobility patterns of rose shrimp Aristeus antennatus in the Western Mediterranean: results of a long-term study

ABSTRACT: The mobility pattern of the deep-water shrimp Aristeus antennatus (Risso, 1816) was studied off the Catalan coast (NW Mediterranean) over a 10 yr time scale. The study area comprises upper and middle slope depths and submarine canyons. Thisextended data set (1780 observations corresponding to 845 days over 10 years) confirmed and allowed refinement of previous hypotheses of A. antennatus large-scale mobility patterns. Our results show that this species follows a well-defined seasonalmobility pattern. It is more abundant on open slope areas (around 800 m depth) in late winter and spring. The larger fraction of the population moves in submarine canyons in late summer and autumn, towards shallower depths (around 500 m). This generalpattern of population mobility is coupled with important sex and size segregation. Adult females are present year-round throughout the different habitats sampled, while the abundance of males and juveniles is higher in submarine canyons in autumn andearly winter. The large-scale mobility pattern of A. antennatus is not common in deep-sea species. The relevance of our results is discussed in relation to the deep-water environment and the biological cycle of the species.

KEYWORDS

F. Sardà (Co-author)

  • Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Plaça del Mar, s/n, E-08039 Barcelona, Spain

F. Maynou (Co-author)

  • Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Plaça del Mar, s/n, E-08039 Barcelona, Spain

L. Talló (Co-author)

  • Fishers' Association, Passeig Joan de Borbó, 54, E-08039 Barcelona, Spain