Spatial structure of the pink shrimp Penaeus (Farfantepenaeus) notialis (Pérez Farfante, 1967) (Decapoda, Penaeidae) in the Colombian Caribbean: implications for fisheries management

Abstract

Abstract The objective of this study was to assess the patterns in the spatial distribution, size structure, morphometric relationships, and relationships of biomass and size to sampling depth and distance to the coast of Penaeus notialis in the Colombian Caribbean. The biological data were collected on board a shrimp trawler. The females were larger and heavier than the males, which indicated distinct sexual dimorphism in body size. The cephalothorax length at 50% maturity in females was 26.49 mm, and in males, it was 15.13 mm. Relatively high biomass values were found in the southern zone of the study area at depths between 25.6 and 49.3 m and between 3.94 and 7.80 nmi (= 7.29-14.45 km) from the coast. We found a clear spatial structure of biomass and size in relation to depth, so that the fishing effort can be directed to the locations of the adult population.