Population structure and life history of Neomysis nigra Nakazawa, 1910 (Mysida) on Jeju Island, South Korea

Abstract

Population structure and life history of the mysid Neomysis nigra Nakazawa, 1910 were studied on Jeju Island, South Korea. N. nigra was collected monthly from a shallow embayment of Jeju Island from May 2013 to May 2014. Temperature and salinity were measured during the sampling. The carapace length (CL) of N. nigra was measured. Life stages were divided into six categories and embryos in the marsupium were classified by developmental stages. During the study period, water temperatures ranged from −0.3 to 35.7°C. The CL of females was larger than that of males. The mean CL of adults was negatively correlated with water temperature. CL values in winter and spring were higher than those in summer and autumn. Brooding females and juveniles were found all year round. The abundance of juveniles was relatively higher in May, July, December, and February than in other months. The number of embryos in the marsupium increased with increasing female size. In conclusion, the present study suggests that the populations of N. nigra have four major spawning groups in a year and reproduce all year round.