The Prawn Palaemon adspersus in the Hypersaline Lake Moynaki (Crimea): Ecology, Long-Term Changes, and Prospects for Aquaculture

Abstract

For several years, the prawn Palaemon adspersus population was studied in a hypersaline lake (Crimea) for the first time. P. adspersus is a more halotolerant species than previously thought and can survive and breed up to a salinity of 55 g/L and probably higher. A significant positive correlation was found between the number and biomass of the prawns and the seagrass Ruppia shoot density. The spring temperature increase from 5.5 to 24 °C was accompanied by a significant increase in the prawn number (p = 0.001). In the males and females, the spatial heterogeneity of the distribution of prawns significantly (p = 0.005) negatively correlated with the abundance of prawns. In the period from 2018 to 2021, the area of Ruppia cover and the prawn abundance in the lake decreased, and a significant correlation was found between those changes. High salinity, judging by our data, can reduce the production potential of the species, but the absence of predators in Lake Moynaki allowed the prawns to reach a higher abundance than was observed in other habitats. P. adspersus can be successfully cultivated in hypersaline waters with a salinity up to 55 g/L as a perspective object for Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture. The development of aquaculture in hypersaline waters may help to save freshwater resources, and the development of aquaculture in brines formed during the desalination of seawater will make it more economically viable to obtain freshwater from seawater.