Studies on the allometric growth of the caramote prawn Melicertus kerathurus (Decapoda, Penaeidae) in Western Greece (E. Mediterranean)
Kapiris, K.; Conides, A. (2009). Studies on the allometric growth of the caramote prawn Melicertus kerathurus (Decapoda, Penaeidae) in Western Greece (E. Mediterranean). Mediterr. Mar. Sci. 10(1): 25-34. https://dx.doi.org/10.12681/mms.120 In: Mediterranean Marine Science. National Centre for Marine Research: Athina. ISSN 1108-393X; e-ISSN 1791-6763, more |   |
| Keywords | | | Author keywords | Caramote prawn; Biometry; Relative growth; Western Greece |
| Authors | | Top | - Kapiris, K.
- Conides, A., more
| | |
| Abstract | The relative growth of eleven body parts (carapace length, height, width, abdominal length, height andwidth, rostral length and telson length) of males and females of the caramote prawn Melicertus kerathuruswas studied in samples from the Amvrakikos Gulf (Western Greece, E. Mediterranean). In addition to this,the relative growth of the length and the maximum width – and consequently the surface - of the appendixmasculina of males was also studied. In general, both sexes showed similar patterns of relative growth. However,the females’ body appendages were significantly greater than those of the males. A negative allometryof escaping appendages (telson), abdomen (related to the metabolic processes, rapid locomotion and reproduction),rostrum, appendix masculina (related to mating and sperm transfer) and carapace height andwidth was found in both sexes. The biometric studies in this species in the central and western Mediterraneanare in agreement with those from the eastern part of the basin, suggesting that all the populations throughoutthe Mediterranean could be considered as uniform. |
|
