Fisheries Re fIorts No. 57, VoL 4 FRm/R57.4 (Tri) PFOc: EINGS F THE WORLD SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE ON THE PIOLOGY AN CULTURE OF SHRIMPS AND PRAWNS ACTES D LA CONFERENCE SCIENTIFIQUE MONDIALE SUR LA BIOLOGIE ET L'ÉLEVAGE DES CREVETTES ACTAS DE LA CONFERENCIA CIENTIFICA MUNDIAL SOBRE OLOGIA Y CULTWO DE CAMARONES Y GAMBAS Mexico City, Mexico, 12-21 June 1967 Mexico (Mexique), 12-21 juin 1967 Ciudad de México, México, 12-21 junio 1967

j V

A FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS F4 0 ORGANISATION DES NATIONS UNIES POUR L'ALIMENTATION ET L'AGRICULTURE ORGANIZACION DE LAS NACIONES UNIDAS PARA LA AGRICULTURA Y LA ALIMENTACION 47 ? ROME, 1970 l539 FAO LIBRARY AN: 115087

FRm/8104 FAO Fiaheriee Synopsis No.]04 SAST - Prawn

SYNOPSIS OF BIOLOGICAL DATA ON THE PENAEID PRAWN monooeros (Fabrioius,1798) Exposé synoptique sur la biologie de Metapenaeus rnon000ros (Fabrioius,1798) Sinopsis sobrs la biologia dei etapenaeus monoceros (Fabricius,1798)

prepared by

MJ GEORGEAI Centrai Marine Fisheries Research Institute Mandapam Camp, India

J Present address, Indian Ocean Biological Centre, PO Box 1913, Ernakulain, Coohinl8, India - 1541 -

1I'Rm/S104 L monooex'os

i CONTENTS

i IDENTITY

1.1Ta:onomv

1,).,l Definition i 1,1,2Description i

1,2 Nomenclature 4

1.2.1Valid scientific nanee 4 1.2,2 Synonyms 4 1.2.3Standard common names, vernacular names 5 1.3General variability 5

1,3.1Subspeoifio fragmen-tation (races, varieties, hybrida) 5 1,3,2 Genetic data (chromosome number, protein speoifioity) *

2 DISTRIBUTION 2:1 2,1 De1imiLaion of the total area of disi-ibution and ocelo mal characterization of this area i

2,2 Differential distribution

2,2,1 Areas occupied by eggs, larvae and other Junior stages: annual variations in thèse patterns, and seasonal variations for stages persisting over two or more seasons i 2.2,2 Areas occupied by adult stages: seasonal and annual variations of these i 2,3Behaviou.rlstio and ecolo bal determinants of the amoral limit of dmstributioii and of the variations of these limits and of differential distribution 1

3 BIONOMICS AND LIFE HISTORY 3:1

3,1 Reproduction i

3,1.1 Sexuality (herreapliroditism, heterosexuality-, intersexuality) 3.1.2 Maturity (age and size) * 3,1,3Mating (monogamous, polygamous, promiscuous) 3.1,4 Fertilization (internal, external) 3.1.5 Fecundity * 3,1.6 Spawning 3,1.7 Spawning grounds 3,1.8 Egg: structure, size9 hatching type, parasites, and predators *

3.2 Larval history

3.2.1 A000un-b of embryonic and juvenile life (prelarva, larva, postlarva, juvenile) i

¡7This synopsis ham been prepared according to Outline Vormion No, i (H. Rome, Jr., FAO Fish. (1) Rev,l, 1965). -1542 - il /3104 L monocero.

PaRe No. 3.3Adult htntor 3t1 3.3,1Longevity i Sardinen,, 3.3.2 e i 303.3 Competi torn 3.3.4Predatore 3.305 Paraeiteo and dioeasen 4,, 3.3,6Greateat zize i 3,4Nutrition and growth 32 3.4.1Feeding (time, plaoo,manner, zeason) * 3.4.2Food (type, volume) 2 3.4.3Relative and abeolute growth pattern. and ratee 2 3.4.4Relation of growth to feeding to other sotivittee, and to environmental factor. *

3.5Behaviour 2

3.5,1Migration and local movement. 2 3.5.2 Schooling * 3.5.3Reproductive habitee 4 POPULATION (STOCK) 4,1

4,1 Structura i

4.1.1 Sex ratio i 4.1.2 Age compoettion i 4.1.3 Size oompoeition i

4.2 Size and d.enzit *

4.2.1 Average niza 4.2.2 Change n in niza 4.2.3Avara dennity 4.2.4 Changez in denaity

Natallt and recruitment 4,3 i Natality 4.3.1 1 4.3.2 Natality ratez * 4,4Morta1&t-1 morbidi * 4.4.1 Raten of mortality 4.4.2 Faotors or oonditionn affecting mortality 404,3 Factor, or condition,, affecting morbidity 40404 Relation of morbidity to mortality rate.

4,5 Dynamic, of populationI4

4,6Relation qfpopu1ation to qommunity nd ecoayetem, blob ical production etc * 5 1XPLOIPATION 51 5,1Fiehin equipment i 5.1.1 Fiahing gear 5.1.2 Fiehing boato I i -1543

FRin/S104 M, monoceros iii

Page No.,

5.2Fishing areas 5.2.1General geographio distribution 5.2.2Geographical ranges (latitudes, distances from coast, ato.) 5.2,3Depth rana

5.3Fishing seasons 1

5.3.1 General pattern of' f ishing season 1 5.3.2Duration of fishing season* 5,3.3Dates of beginning, peak and end of season i 5.3.4Variation in time or duration of fishing season 1 5.3,5 Fao-tora affeoting fishing season 2. 5,4Fishing operations ana results 52

5.4,1Bffort and intensity 2 5.4.2 Selectivity 5.4,3 Catches 2

5,5Fisheries mann amont and re lations 2

5,6Fish farmin, tra s.lantinand other intervention 2

6 REFERENCES 6,1

* As no information was available to the author, these items have been omitted from the text. -1544 -,

F1bejSÛj N. conoceros 1:1

1 IDENTITY postorbital groove ranchia1 region defined (i) anteriorly, by deep and narrow cresoen.tio 1.1 groove (anterior par-t of oervical groove) which embraces base of postantennular ridge aoci meebe 1,11 Definition poatantennulargroove, (ii) mupariorly, by si- Phylum Arthropoda nuous ridge which is most distinct In postor.Lor Cimas Cruatacea half and x'uns from hepatio spine almoot to poe-. Subclass Malacoetraoa tenor border of carapace, Serie o Eumalacostraca Superordor Eucerida Dorsal carina on 2nd to 6th abdominal Order Deoapoda terga, usually let also, blunt and incon- Suborder Natantia spicuous on (let) 2nd and 3rd, very sharp Section Penmeidea on 4th to 6th, Fifth abdominal eomite about Family Penaoidae two-thirds length of 6th, 6th a little chor-tor Subfamily Penaoinae than telson. Telson shorter than endopod. of Genua Metapenmeus Wood-Mason, uropod; without marginal spines, 1891 Species Metapanmeus moiooeros Eyes very large, slightly surpassed by (Fabricius,1798) antennalscale, Guter (upper) antennular fla- gellum slightly longer than Inner, not much 1,1.2 Desoription more than half length of peduncle.

Generic Third maxillipeds barely reach middle of dactylue in male not modified, Motapenmeus Wood-Maeon, in Wood- antennalscale: Mason and Aloock, 1891, Ann.Mag.nat,Hist., (6) consists of slender, setose, tapering joint, Strong 8271, Type species by original designation: about four-fifthe length of propodus, anterior spine on basis of each ohelipeci, Penaeus aff joie H. Milos Edwards, 1837. Gender: masculine, Last pair of thoracio loge of adult male with proximal end of menus notched. on outer side, A detailed description of the genus is notch deepened anteriorly by large hook-like giVen in the Speciea Synopsis on Metapenmeus spine, and posteriorly by subterminal lobule affinisby George (1970). The following on posterior border of ischium, &ige of morue characters distinguish it from other genera finely denticulate beyond srine, Three termi- of the Penasinas, nal joints of5thlogs slender In both soxee the dactylue rarely reaches such beyond middle Rostrum with dorsal teeth only. Carapace of antennal scalo. No exopods on the 5-tb legst without longitudinal or transverse sutures or (Fig. i), lateral keule, Doreal keel on 4th-6th abdoin- thai segments; lateral keels on 6th segment Petasma symmetrical, consists of 2 rigid discontinuous and inconspicuous. Teleon eegaents tightly folded longitudinally, inter- grooved, not trifid, No oxopoci on 3rd max- locked. all along anterior margins, in close illiped or 5th pereiopod. apposition along most of poeterior margins, Speoifio forming compressed -tubo; tube ends distally in pair of large gargoyles with posterior lips caum conoceros (Fabrictua, 1798) convoluted. like mouth of persoate corolla (Fig. 2), iee t,e material cannot be traced and muet b conidered ioet The]ycum concavo, hounded laterally by Typs locality: In Oceuno Indico", pain of ear.-].ike lobos with free edge often (probably near Tranquebar, S. India), inourved., bounded. anteriorly by median pro- jecting tooiie embedded.between2 lobes of The following description is adapted from sternum corresponding with penultimate pair Aloock (1906), of legs (Fig,3), Rody covered with stiff, very short to- Semitransparent, clossiy corered. with mentum,Rostrumnearly straight, uptiltod, small red ohrosatophoroo dorsal carina of r000bin a'l, to, or a little beyond, tip of antosnuar jnc.iiuiols; armed dorsally with9 to carapaco,rostrum, bases of eyes-talks, dorsal 12 ÚOb. ?sroatral crest continued to, or abdominal oaninae and oarinae cf tebeo and. uropode dull red; antennae bright red; first almost to, pc2erior border of carapace, An- terolatei:1 lea ut' carapace broadly rounded 2 :Logs colciinboes; last 3 logs with numerous rod chromatophores; setae of uropode golden off, Ve : l 1ont000jar(orbital) tooth, red; outer uropod bright red along external Postantennu, :. (antennal) spine atrong, pro- dud as ridgc to baaa of emaIl hcpatto spine; margin (Kemp, 1915). According to Alisad ridge bounding well nia'kcjd poctantannular (1957),body is flesh--coloured with pigment sparsely distributed, thickly covered. with groove which meets ce"'real groove. Gaetrio x'egion defined anteriorly by short oblique brown dote: spots also preaoot on flagella - 1545 -

12 FRm/S104 M. mon000ro

Pig. i Metapenaeua monoceros, duib malo, lateral view.

Fig. 2Petasma oÍ adult male,

Fig. 3Thelycum of adult female. 1546 -

P. re00000ros l 3

ac tho.vaoie legs, Joubert (1965) described distal pair of slightly larger spinulos; 'bc1' so white? covered with dark brown spe- distolateral potassai projections direct- ckloo, od outwards; apioai filaments of disto- median projections slender,slightlyeon- Artificial key to the epeoies of Mots- verging; thelycum with a large anterior (Modifiod from Reoek and Dall (1965)) and small lateral plates ...... , M,brevicornia (R.Mjlne wards) Telson armed with 3 or 4 pairs of cons- lecHal spine on ist pereiopod much picuouc spines. .,...... 2 smaller than basial spine; telson usually r:toon armed with a singlo row of very with 2 distal pairs of slightly larger inute uobiie spinulos, with or without spinules; distolateral petasmal projec- l..2 ostra of somewhat larger distal tions pointing anteriorly; apical fila- '04 mente of distomedian projections lobe... like; thelyoum with a small anterior and 2 (1) Three pairo of subequal te].sonio spines; very large lateral plates...... rostrum straight, teeth extending to its Kubo(M.mpinulatus Kuto) aPex...... 3 Pou:' pairs of talsonic spines, proee- 8 (6) Apical potassai filaments not readi].y aivoly increasing in size posteriorly; visible; anterior thelycal plate tongue- rostrum migmoidal, anterior half eden- like..,., ...... M.dobsoni (Miare) tato, stylifors... . .M.macieayi (Haswell) Apical pe-tassai filaments large and lobe- like, curved dorsally; anterior thelycal 3 (2) Branchial region with small pubescent plate styliform...... M.jpyneri. (Miera) areas; coxal projection of 4th por.- eiopod. long and. curved, dagger-like; 9 (4) Branchie cardiac sulcus distinct in at thelyoum with rounded median boss pos- least posterior 1/3 carapace; distomedian terior to lateral platos; distomedian pe-tassai projections flap-like ...... 10 potassai projections without an antero- Branchiccardiác suicus almost completely lateral spinous process...... absent; distomedian potassai projections ...... M.intormodius (Kimhinouye) anteriorly filiform, each with a serrate Branchial region with 2 large pubescent ventral margin..,.. .M.stebbingi (Nobili) areas; coxal projection of 4th pere- iopod a straight conical spine; thelycum lO (9) lecHal spine on ist pereiopoddistinct without a rounded boso posterior to la- teral plaies; distomedian potassai 'pro... Isohial spine on ist permiopod small or jeotiona with a distinct anterolateral absent. 15 spinous process,. .M.endeavouri (Sohmii;t) 11(10) Ischial spine ouboqual to bastai spine; 4(1) Distomedian potassai projection with' pet asnal apices turned. at 300 towards fully developed or vestigial apical f'i- midline, semicircular; anterior th.alyoal lament; thelycum of impreguated females plate spoon-likelateral plates with usually with white conjoined pads.,.,.5 raised ventral ridges, each with entero- Distomedian petasmal projection without lateral and posteromedian spinoum pro- apical filament; thelycum of impregnated cese ,,..,,,. M.suluenmis Racok and. Pair females without white conjoined pads,,9 lecHal spine nuch smaller than bastai spine; lateral thelycai plates without 5 (4) Rostrum wide and short, not reaching to spinous processes,, ...... 12 distal end of basai antennular segment; thelycum with ovoid anterior and lateral 12(11) Dlstomedian potassai projections direct- plates o suhoqual size; conjoined pads ed anteriorly; lateral thelycal platas usuallyet amkew; apical filaments of with raised latcrsl ridgea each with a petase estigial, represented a pair posterior inwardly-curved triangular

'' of ' )saOs.,,.1I,lysjanaçjsa (do Man) plate...... ,1LensiodsHaen)( Rost v 'Tjecting beyond basal anion- .orm±i(Raswe1l) = nular me, iiont, with a marked edentato Distomadian potassai prójections dixect- distal portion,...... ed anterolat arai ly; an srior thelycal platetongue-like ...... ,..,,. ..,.., 13 6 (5)Posterior part of rostrum with distinct- ly elevated crest; baciai spine on 3rd. 13 (12) Lateral tholycal plates with salient and persiopod ciple...... parallel earshauod lateral ridges; dis- Pos':ior part of roctrum without die- tomedian petasmal projections hood-.like tino y elevated o'rasi; haci.ai spine on .M.monocore (Fabricius) 3rd pereiopcd, long and barbed...... 8 Lateral thelycal p1atiout lateral raised ridges; dimtomacan oetasmai pro- 7(6) lachial spine ori ist peroiopcd subequal jectiono not hood-like.,, ...... to basial spina; toison usually with 1 -1547 -

FRm/Sl04 M. monooeroc

.14 (13) Posterior extension of anterior median pace almost to hopatic spine; anterior tholycal plate bound laterally by ari thelycal plate longitudinally grooved., oval flat plate on each sido; dieto- wider posteriorly than anteriorly; die- median petasmal pro jeotious overlying tomedian potassai projections orosoont-. lateral projections and distally tri- shaped...... lobed...... M.alcocki George and Rao ,M,afuinis (H,Milne Edwards)( M,mut- Posterior extension of anterior median aine ILanchester) M.necopinans thelycal plate not bound laterally by Branchjocardjao oarina feeble or ill- oval plate on either side; distomedian defined, anterior end not exceeding potassai projections not overlying posterior 1/3 of carapace...... 21 lateral projections...... ,.M.kutchonsis George, George and Rae 21 (20) Anterior thelycal plate tongue-like, with a pair of anterolateral rounded 15(10) lechial spine minute and blunt...... 16 tubercios; lateral plates with charac- Isohial spine absent..,.,,...... 19 teristic patch of dense sotae; disto- median petasmal projections strongly 16 (15)Rostral teeth more or less evenly diverging, each forming a broad out- spaced; thelycal structure posteriorly wardly-curved tooth...... open...... , .17 - ...... M.imsolitus Raoek and Dall Rostral teeth unevenly spaced, ariteriol' Anterior thelycal plato flask-shaped, 2 teeth separated from each other and with a longitudinal median ridge; dis- from the rostral apex by a much wider tomedian petasmal projections f inger- space; thelycal structure posteriorly shaped...... , 22 closed.,..,. , , .. , . ,,. ,.M.demarii. (Roux) 22 (21) Anterior margin of anterior thelycal 17 (16)Distomodian petasmal projections not plate with 3 tubercles...... ,23 superficially separated into 2 lobos, Anterior margin of anterior thelycal almost completely overlying disto- plate with 2 fang-like teeth and a lateral projections; lateral thelycal median indistinct tuberole; potassa plates kidney-shaped, with strongly with slightly diverging tubular dis.- raised ventrolateral ridges...... toinedian projections,,. . .Ldalli Racek ...... M,conjunctus Racek and. Dall Distomedian petasmal projections more 23 (22) Median tuberclo more prominent than or less superficially separated. into lateral ones; distal margin cf anterior 2 lobes, not overlying distolateral thelycal plate distinotly triangular; projections, lateral thelycal plates potasma with almost parallel tubular ear-shaped, with salient lateral dietomediari projections, their distal ridges...... 18 half twisted. dorsovontrally. , , ,Lbennettae Racek and Dall 18 (17)Distomedi.an petasmal projections para- All tuborcios of equal sise; distal llel and. directed anteriorly, longi-. margin of anterior tholyoal plate con- tudinal suicus ill-defined; posterior vex to indistinctly triangular; petaseis end of salient ridges on lateral the- with laminoso and strongly dirverging ].ycal p1aes curved outwards; spine on distomedian projections. - , ...... merus of O 5th pereiopod slightly bent , , ...... M,burkenroadj Kubo inwards, . . . .Lpapuonsia Racek and Dall Distomodi.an potasmal projections di- 1.2 Nomenclature verging and directed antera laterally, longitudinal sulcus distinct; posterior 1.2.1 Valid. scieritifio names end of salient ridges on lateral the- lyoal plates curved. inwards; spine on etapenaeus monoosros (Fabrioius, 1798) morue of C? 5th persiopod slightly 'cent 1,2.2 Synonyms outwards N,el- egans (de Man)( M.s3.rigaporensis HaT Objective synonomy 19 (15)Rostrum with a marked ed.entate distal Penaeus m000ceros Fabrioius, 1798, Suppl, portion; anterior theiycal plate Entomol.syst. 409. bluntly pointed, lateral plates large, (Fabricius,1798) separated by a narrow fissure...... Nobili, 1903, Boll.Mus.Zool.Anat.COU2P.TOriflO, M,eboracensis Dall 18(447) z 3. Rostrum without odentate distal por- ienaeopsie monoceros (Faorioiva,1798) tion. , ...... , ...... 20 De Man, 1911, Siboga Exped., 39az55.

20 (19) Branohiocardiac carina distinct, ex- tending from posterior margin of cara- 1548 -

IL/ 3/104 M. uonooeros 1t5

ubjootive mynonymy 1.3 General variabilitZ

Penasopolu opinulicauda Stebbing, 1914, 1.3.1 Subopecific froentation AnS.Afr.Thi.)15ï7. (races, varieties, hybrids)

1.2,3 Standard common names, ver- No subspecies, races or varieties are nacular numes known for the species,

Indiac Korala coast Choodan ohemmeen Bangal coast - Koraney ohingcli, Nonya chingdi; Bombay ooaot - Jinga; Gulf of Kutoli. - 5onarya jaoha;

Pakistan Kuoho chingdi Pakistan -. Kiddi

SouthIneat Durban Bay Speckled prawn, Ginger prawn -1549 -

FRm/3104 M. inonoceros 2*1

2 DISTRIBUTION late m3rsia and poslarva1 mtac migrco 2.1 Delimitation of the total area of into baokintez'e and estuaries all along tho distribution and ecological charao- coastline of Xndia,and tue juvonilec oontribito terization of thi.a area to a fishery in these waters0 The ocourronoo of large numbers of postlarvac of the opooia M. monooeros is recorded from the eastern in the Adyar estuary han been recorded by Mediterranean, the east ooast of Africa, Mada- Panikkar and. Aiyar(1939). gasear, the Red Sea, all coasts of India, Pakistan and Ceylon, and Malaysia as far am Large quantities of this species, both the Straits of Malaoca, Hall(1962) gives juveniles and medium mised specimens, aro present the Straits of Malaooa as its eastern limit. in the Gangetto deltaio area, In Bombay waters Crosniex (1965) also inoludes Indonesia, Aus- juveniles are present in the inshore catoho, tralia and Japan in the distribution of the species, but these records probably apply to 2.2,2Areas Occupied by adult 1. eneje (De Hann) (Racek and Dall,1965). etages seaeone.t and. Under the FAO distribution code (Iloithuis and variations of theo Rosa,1965),the species is found in sea areas ASE and 15W, and in coastal and estuarine In India, the adults are found in the sea waters of land. areas 12,136, 154, 413, 421, in slightly deeper waters than other species 423, 424, 425,and556,(Distribution data of Motapenaeue, George and. George from the 3 works just cited and from De Drum, (1964) re- corded a breeding population in50 to 60'n 1965), depth off Coohi,

Juveniles are found in estuaries and Adults occur from the ittertjdal nono to baokwaters of reduoecl salinity (India) and in a depth of 40 m off Madagascar, but they are lagoons (ceylon); adults occur in the sea, most common at depths between6and 15 c usuallyn shallow water, but to a depth of (Crosnier,1965). 50 to60inon the Cochin ooast of India (Georgej 196b)and to 70 'n off Durban, South Africa (Joubert,1965). Both juveniles and adults are usually found on substrates of mud, silt or muddy sand (George and George, 1964; De Bruin,1965),

2.2Differential distribution

2.2.1 Areas ocoupied by eggs, larvae and other junior stages; enunal variations in these Patterlia, and seasonal variatin'n foi stages persisting over two or more seasons

There i.s no Information on eggs and early larvae of this species. -1550 -

lPJS/S104 M. sonoceros 3:1

3 BIONOMICS AND LIFS HISTORY postlarvae from about 3.0 smi (total length). The biology of the juveniles in the fishery 3.1 Reproduction of Coohin was also studied by him.

3,1,1 Sexuality (hormaphroditimm, 3,3 Adult history heterosexuality, inter-. sexuality) 3.3.1 Longevity

The species is hetoroseival, Although Srivatsa (1953), studying the fishery in not a case of hermaphroditism, George (1963) the Gulf of Kutch, calculated the life span of recorded a speolmen with both thelyown and the species to be 12 to 14 mo, According to potasna, the latter riot fully developed, George (1959) 3 distinct year classes are recog- nizable, indicating a life span of 3 yr. 3,1,2 Maturity (age and size) 3,3.2 Hardiness No maturity studies have bien carried out on the species, George (1959) gave indirect According to Chopra (1939) this penaoid evidence that it does not mature before at- i a hardy creature, a faot to which it owes tathing a length of 120 mm. its local name in the Calcutta markets, "ko- raney chingdi". Generally this species arrives 3.1.4Fertilization (internal1 in the market alive, Another local name for external) the species in Bengal is "honye chingdi" or mad prawn, which probably refers to the faot Fertilization is external, taking plaoe at that even long after capture it jumps about the time of spawning, like a mad oreature,

3,1,6 Spawning Active regulation of chloride and os.niotio behaviour of this species has been extensively According to George (1959) the spawning studied by various authors in India, season of the speoies in Cochin waters is from Panikkar (1948) studied this prawn in comparison with October to December with a peak in November other penaeidm and found that it can survive and December. However, George (1962), study- 'the greatest extremes of salinity, low as ing the poet-larval abundance of the speoies well as in the backwaters of Cochin, recorded that the high. The distribution of the species in relation to this osmoregulatory behaviour species breeds throughout the year with two has been discussed by him. peaks, the first in July and. August and the Panikkar anzì Vis-. noco.'icl in November and December, wanathan (1948) experimented on the changes in George and the chloride content of the blood of this George (1964) recorded a catch consisting species. mostly of mature specimens from a depth of 50 to 60 in off Cochin in August. In the Gulf of Kutch area, the spawning season is from Oxygen consumption ae a function of size February to April (Srivatsa, 1953), and salinity in thim species, from marine and brackish water populations, was the topic of study of Rae (1958), 3,1.7 Spawning grounds 11e noticed that oxy- gen consumption increased with increasing hyper- tonicity or hypotonicity of the medium, Panikkar and Aiyar(1939) found early post- Com- paring two natural populations in media of lzirirae in the brackish waters of Adyar and suggestod that the species ine.y breed there. different salinitie, he suggested that the os- motic stress, as shown by oxygen consumption, SLmilar early postlarvae occur in Cochin back- uatof s, but the absence of young larvae in- depends on the salinity of the medium to whiob the is naturally adapted. dioatem that this is not a brooding area (George, 1959, 1962), The presence of mature adults in a sandy area at a depth of 50 to 60 Reddy (1963) showed that, after transfer 'to in off Cochin points to this as a possible anisosmotio media of between 5°/co and 350/00 spawning ground (George and George, 1964) salinity, the chloride concentration of the blood, and the rates of heart beat, rospiratiòn 3,2Larval himtor and urine production attained a steady level after 8 to 10 days. The prawns then appeared to be fully acclimatized to the new medium. 3.2,1 Account of embryonio and juve- nile life Gnanamuthu (1966) correlated adaptation to different salinities with changes in body volume of the prawn, and considered the gut wall to b, The larval, developmentof the species has not been described, the site of oemoregulatjon, 3,3,6 Greatest size The postlarval reoruitmerit of the species into the baokwaters of Cochin was studiert by According to Alcook (1906) and Menon (1956), George (1962), George (1959) reared the the species attains a length of 6Y2 in (165 sin), Chopra (1939) gave the maximum length as a litt].o over 5 in (127 rem), In the trawl fishery off 1551 3s2 FRm/5104 M. monoceros

Coohin, a maximum length of about 180 mm has timated the number for larger speimons from been reoorded by George (1959).Crosnier the fishery, According to him, growth from 3 (1965) gayo tho largest malos and females, mm to about 100 mm is achieved in 32 moults. obtained from Madagascar, as 133 and 162 respectively. Geor (1959) recorded the relationship between weight and total length, based on 175 3.4Nutrition and growth observations on jd,jvjduals ranging from 25 to 105 mm total length, as 3,4,2Food (type, volume) W 0.01989 L2'60. By the analysis of the stomach contents of 1,173 specimens, ranginin length from 3,5Behaviour 20 to 100 mm, George (1959) has recorded an omnivorous feeding habit for the species. The 3.5.1Migration and movements main items found in the stomach contents ìc'ro remains of (ainpbipods, isopods and The migration of the pootlarvol otageco copepoda), polychaete remains, vegetable satter backwaters and estuaries takes place all along (angiosperm tissues and diatoms), foraminifera, the coastline of India,The migration from solluso shell pieces and sand partioles. the sea into the Cochin baoki'atsru takes pleoc in the early postlarval stages, and the move- 3,4,3Relative and absolute ment back to the sea commenoes within o year, growth patterns and rates after a length of about 100 mm has been reached, Growth rates of the species in the laboro- In the offshore trawling groundsff Coohin, tory, as recorded by George (1959), are re- George al, (1968) observed some movemento produced in Table I.The rate of growth varied of the bigger sizes into the grounds from deeper between 6.25 and 10.25' mm per month and, the waters in the early half of the season, in No. average gowth rate was 7.98 mm per month. vembor, The same paper aleo recorded growth 0±' the species in a paddy field as 10 to 14 mm in In the Gulf of Kutoh area, the prawns about 3 md.This relates to larger specimens found to move to deeper t'intere and open areno than those used in the laboratory experiments. from August to November0Srivatea (1953) did Srivatea (1953) was of the opinion that, in not consider 'this to be a feeding migration0 the Gulf of Kutch area, growth is rapid and praumo attain a length of about 4 in(102 mm) In the Godavari eotuarr on the east. ooast in 5 mo, of India, Subrainanyam (1965) observed migration out of the estuary to be mostly nooturnal awL Differential rote of grouth in the sensn, immigration was greatest at dawn,He npticd, females showing the foster grouth rate, ha more emigrants than immigrants. The outuard been recorded by George (1959) and George et migration of the speciesas intense in Doces- ,.(1968). ber, May and June, George (1959) recorded the number of' moults in laboratory reared and es T.LE I Growth rate of Metapenasus monocoros in the laboratory (after George, 1959) Period of Initial Final Increase Rate o experiment siø size In size outh mm mm mm 'no

4 3,0 33,5 30,5 763 4 3.0 33.0 30.0 750 4 3,0 3400 31,0 1075 4 3,0 28,0 25,0 6,25 8 3,0 60.0 51,0 1,13 4 305 36,0 32,5 8,13 6 3,0 46.0 43,0 7,17 4 305 44,5 41,0 10,25 4 305 43,5 10,00 1552

FRxn,'lO4 monooeros 4t1

4 PoPULATION (sTocK) according toGeorge (1959), prawns of this species measuring more than about lOO mm in 4,1 Structure length are very scarce, and the modal lengths vary from about 58 to about 88 mm. In the in- 4,1,1 Sex ratio shore fishery of Bombay this species is repre- sented by specimens ranging in length from40 Caorg (1959) studiod the sex ratio of the to 120 mm (Shaikhmahmud and Pembe, 1960). jtzven&les in the backwater catches of Cochin duri 1952to 1955 and recorded a slightly The adults cf the species are represented hihe' peroentago of femalee in each year, the in the trawl fishery off Coohin in the months rpbs percentage of females for the 3 of November and December, when specimens with boirg 51,76,51.08 and 51,31. In catohos modes varying from about 128 to about 148 mm of liwenilse of the species from the inshore are caught (George 1968). cïr of Bombay, Shaikhmahmud and Tombe (1960) also recorded a predominance of females exoept 4.3Natality and recruitment in the month of June, Crosnier (1965) observed 93 fecales in a trawl net catch of 153 specimens 4.3.1 Natality off Madagascar. George (1962) studied the recruitment of 4,1.2 Age composition postlarvae into the baokwaters of Cochin and suggested the possibility of using this index George (1959) observed that only the 0 year- for predicting the subsequent fishery of the clase contributed to the baokwater fishery of backwaters as well as the outside sea. In the Cochiri, In the trawl catches ho recorded three trawl fishery off Cochin, the recruitment of year-classss with modal lengths 100 to 110 mm, bigger sizes early in the season and smaller 131 to 135 mm and 156 to 160 mm. sizes ïn the latter half of the season was ob- served by George et al,(1968). 4,1.3Size composition The juvenilos contribute to the paddy field and baokwntor fisheries of Cochin and also to the estuarine prawn fishery along most cf the Inalan ooao, In the Cochin backwaters, -1553 -

FRm/S104 M, monoosros 51

5 EXPLOITATION coast. The inshore fishery on the northuoot coast of India is in the middle of the year, 5.1Fishing equipment The trawl fishery off the Indian southuest coast and nuoh of the estuarine fishery on 5,1,1Fishing gear the east coast are pursued in wintor, Prawrs, including 14, monoceros, are fished in all In the Bombay area, the 'dol' net or bag seasons in some creeks and inlets of West nei is the gear used for catching prawns, the Pakistan, In general, however, prawn fisher- operation of which has been described by Setna ies in both East and West Pakistan are mostly (1949). On the north Kanara coast, the prawns carried out in winter (Qureshi,1956), are caught by shore seines (yendi bale), the details of which are given by Pradhan(1956), Data on fishing seasons in other ooun- tries are not available, On the southwest coast of India, various types of boat-seines (locally called 'thangu 5,3.3 Dates of beginning, peak vain', 'vatta vala', 'koru vala)2 shore and end of season seines ('kamba vain', 'nona vain'), drag nets (vadi vala) and cast nets are employed, In In the backwater fishery of Coohin, al- mechanized fishing for prawns, shrimp trawle though represented throughout the year, the of various sizes are used. species is most abundant in the months Naroh to June and November (Menen arid Raznan, 196].), 5,1.2 Fishing boats The percentageoontributionof the speoise given by thom is reproduced in Table II, The Theindigenousgears are operated mainly peak season for the species in the trawl from dug-cut canoes and. plank-built boats with fishery off Cochin (George et al,,1968), out-rigger. The mechanized fishing vessels im November and December; detailed records are generally the medium sized7to 11 n long of the species from1958through1963are pablo boats, having iO to 30 bhp engìnes. given by them. Usually the species appears in the catches in snail numbers by October, 5.2Fishing areas reaches a peak in November and disappears by the end of December, Smaller sizes are 5,2.1 General geographio distribu- represented again in the fishery in small num- tion bers in March and April, In Bombay waters, althoughpresent throughout the year, the posh The species is fished in India (Panikkar fishery is d.uringthe rainy season, in July and and Morion, 1956), East and West Pakistan (Quresbi, August (Shaikhxnahmud and Tembe,1960), 1956)and Ceylon (De Bruin,1965). 3mai]. num- bers are caught on the east AÍ'rioan ooast (Hall, Kemp(1915)observed the presence of this 1967). species in the Chilka Lake all through the 5,2.2 Geographical ranges (latitudes, year. In the Godavari estuary (Subrainanyasi, distances from coast, etoo) 1965),although present in the catches through- out the year, it is more abundant in May to The fishery is largely in enolosed or June and in November to December, partly enclosed waters, such as paddy fields, estuaries and lagoons, but the species is also 5,3.4Variations in date or fished in the open mea, in inshore waters off duration of season Bombay (Shaikhmahmud and. Tombe, 1960) and up to several km offshore on the Coohin coast of Variation in the season of the species India (George et al,,1968). in the same locality is recorded by George stai.(1968), in the trawl fishery off Co- 5,2,3 Depth ranges chin. November and December are usually the months of peak occurrence of th species in The fishery for juvenile prawns is general- this fishery, but in certain years the speoies ly in water of less than5m, but they are fails to appear in the catches in these months, fished in depths of 13 n off Bombay (Shaikh- The reason for this is not yet known, mahmud and Tembo,1960)..Adults are fished to a maximum depth of60n off Cochin, (George et 5.3,5Factors affecting fishing al.,1968). season 5,3Fishingseasons The formation of mud banks, locally called 'chaakara' is noticed to influenoe the inshoro 5,3.1General pattern of season fishery for prawns on the Malabar coast. 1Ienon and Rarnan(1961)have reoordod a direct rel- The species is fished throughout the year ationship between rainfall and prawn catches in in the backwaters of the southwest coast of the backwaters of Komm, and they also notiod India, and in the Godavari estuary on the east highest catches at now or full noon or a day or 1554

52 FRin/S104 M, monoceros

TABLEE II

Peroentage values (numerical and weight) of. monoceros in the monthly catches in the stake net at Cochin in1957.-1958

Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May June JulyAug, Sept. 0t. Nov. Peo,

By nunber 10,5 9,6 18,922,312.3 16,5 14.2 9,0 12,311.935,8 5,4 Byueighb 21,2 21,6 32,0 36,7 33.2 35,8 29,2 27.936,328.9 63.417,7 i

two later, Subramanyam(1965)observed vogue do not involve the destruotion on any more of the specle at new neon than at full appreciable soale of prawn fry and leave suf-. moon in catches from thGodavari estuary. f icient numbers of breeding females to replenish the stock, The fear of depletion has not there- 5,4 Fishing operations and results fore arisen anywhere and thus no serious problem in management, requiring regulation of the 5,4,1Effort and intensity fishery, has confronted the Governments of the various States", In the paddy field fishery, George et al,,(1968)studied the trawl as well as the cast net, stake net and Chinese fishery for prawns off Cochin in the years dip net fishery of the backwaters of Kerala, a l956-G3, The total catches of1. monoceros licensing system is prevalent, in -blas nonthe in which they iero significant cre shorn an relation to the fashing effort 5.6 Fish farmin tranaplanbin., in Table III. and other intervention

,4,3 Catches Farming or culture practices are not oarried out anywhere in the Oase of this Aporb from the dcba given in Table III, species. But trapping of juvenile stages of ïvdin records C pra-7n oachos do no lieb the species along with others is extensively U, ìoeoeoros eopar-bo1y, bloaon and flaman practiced in the rice fields bordering the Ç9í)gave bias toïal oaoh of prarno fron backwaters of the southwest coast of India Llaode and Thevarn). n th bacLuatore of (Panikkar, 1937; Menen,1955;Gopinath,1956; ne 1198.5 kg in 1957and 1368.7 in Panikkar end Merion, 1956; Kestoven and Job, 1950, Subromanyam(1965)recot'dod a total 1957). About 11,000 acres (about4,500ha) of c-i' ¿86 of tnuno (anciuding fi, mon000ros) single crop rice fields, which are not utili- bias Godair-:ci. ocbuary on the east coast zed for paddy cultivation during the period India, in 1961-62, when the water is saline, are used for thac fishery, Th fishing practice is rostr].oted to admitting juvenile prawns to the paddy Fisheries - and re lations 5,5 fields with the incoming tides and fishinghem during favourable low tides at night, Prawns On the southwest oo of India the only are caught in a conical bag net attached to a regulation now in existence is in respect of rectangular frame which fits into the mouth the paddy field prawn fishery, in which , of the sluice gate provided for the field. In 1 monoceros one of the mors important species. this process of fishing, very little attention Thc uisheiy is allowed -to operate from the mid- to the stock is called for, although during cFI,o of Novembep to the middle of April only, the variable interval that the trapped prawns bub bhiu is done not in the interest of the remain in the fields they utilize the food fishery bub in the interest of rice cultivation organisms within the field and grow to a which is carried out in these fields during the certain extent, monsoon months. According to Fanikkaz' and Menen(1956) "themethods of fishing now in 1555

FRm/S104 M. monooeroa 53

¶kBLE III

Total oatoh and catch per hoar of Metapenaeus monoceroe in the trawl f iehery oft' Coohin in inonthe in which there wae a eignificant catch of the apeoiee inl93-1962(George et al.,l96S)

Year Month Percentage Total catch Total Catch of Catch por Catch per by weight of prawne effort M.monooeroahour for hour for all prawne (kg) (h) (kg) M.mono- oeroe

1958 November 12,9 11607 339.92 1497 34,0 4,4 Deoember 12.5 15861 535.63 1983 30,0 3,7 1959 November 39.6 2306 301,17 913 8,0 3.0 December 19.5 10027 430,00 1955 23.0 4.6 1960 February 7,9 50113 692.68 3959 72,0 5.7 November 42.5 1536 207.18 653 7.0 3.2 1961 November 11.1 21462 442.00 2382 49.0 5,4 1962 September 25.6 7664 91,92 1962 83.4 21.3 October 3.6 24023 372,75 865 64,4 2.3 -1556 -

PRIn/S104 M. monoceros 6:1

6 REP'HR]CES

Ahmad, B., Prawn and prawn fishery of East Pakistan. Dacca, East Pakistan, Government Press, 1957 31 p.

Aicook, A., Prawns of the Peneus group. In Catalogue of the Indian Decapod Crustacea in the 1906 collection of the Indian Museum. Part3,Macrura. Faso. 1., Ca1cutta55 p.

Ohopra, B. N., Soue food prawns and, crabs of India and their fisheries. 3. Bombay nat. Hist. 1939 Soc., 41(2):22l-34

Crosnier, A., Les crevettes penaeides du plateau continental Malgache. Geh, 0,R.S.T.0.M. 1965 0céanogr3, Suppi. 3:l53 p.

De Bruin, G. H. P., Penaeid prawns of Ceylon (Crustacea, , Penaeidao). Zool.Meded.1 1965 Leiden,41(4):73_l04

George, M. J., Notes on the bionomics of the prawn Meta enaeus mon000ros Fabricius. Indian J. 1959 Fish.,6(2):268-79

On the breeding of penaeids and the recruitment of their postlarvae into the 1962 backwaters of Gochin, Indian J,Fish., 9(l):llO-6

Note on an abnormality in the penaeid prawn Metapenaeus monooeroe Fabrioius. 1963 J,mar.biol,Ass,India.,5(1):145-6

Synopsis0±'biological data on the penaoid. prawn Metapenaeua a.ffinis (H.Mi].ne 1wards,1837). FAO Fish.Rep..,(57) Vol.4: 1359-75

George, M, J., K. Eaman and. P. K. Nair, Observations on the off shorr' prawn fishery of Goohin. 1968 'Indian J,Fish,,(1963), 1OA(2):460-99

George, P. C,. and M. J. George, On the location of a possible spawning area for the penaeid 1964 prawn, Metapenaeus monoceros Fabricius off Cochin. Curr.Sci.,33(8):251-2

Gnanamuthu, C. P., Changes in volume of a brackish water prawn in different media. Proc.lndian 1966 Acad.Sci.,64(2):96.-109

Gopinath, K., Prawn culture in the rico fields of Travancore-Coehin, India, Proo.Indo-Paoif, 1956 Fish,Coun.b(3):4l9-25

Hall, D. N. F., Observations on the taxonomy and biology of some lade-west Paoifio 1962 (Crustacea, Decapoda), Fiahery Pubis colon.Off.,17:1-229

, Penaeidae of the east coast of Africa, Pubis scient,teoh.ros.Commn Orgn Mr. 1967 Unity,(96):89-101

Hoithuis, L. B. and H. Rosa, Jr., List of species of shrimps and prawns of economic valuo. 1965 FAD Fish.tech.Pap,,(52):l p.

Joubert, L. S., A preliminary report on the penaeid prawns of Durban Bay. InvestLRop.oceanogr. 1965 Res,Inst,Durban,11:32 p, 3(l62):487-518

Kemp S., Fauna of the Chilka Lake. Crustacea Docapoda. Mem.Indian Mus,,5:201-325 1915

Kesteven, G, L, and T. J. Job, Shrimp culture in Asia and the Far East. A preliminary review, 1957 Proc.Gulf Carib,Fish,Inot.,10:49-68

Monon, M. K., On the paddy field pram fishery of Travanoore-Cochin and an experiment inprawn 1955 culturo. Proo,Indo-Paoif.Fish.Coun.,5(2):5 p.

Identification of marine and inohore prawns of commercial valuo in India. Proc. 1956 Indo-Pacif,Fioh. Coun., 6(3):345-6 1557

6s2 FRin/S104 M. mon000roa

Menen, M. K. anit K. iaman,Observations on the prawn fishery of the Cochiri backwaters with 1961 special reference to the stake not catches.Indian J.Fieh., 3l.l)1-23 Mime-Edwards, H.,Histoire Naturelle des (rUsaOés, comprenant l'anatomie, la physiologie et 1837 la classification de ces animaux.Paris, vol.2, 532 p. Panikkar, N.K.,The prawn industry of the Malabar coast.J.Bombiy nat.Hiet.Soc., 39(2):343-53 1937 Osmoregulation in penaeid prawns.Proo,Indian Acad.Sci., 35l92-3 1948 Panikkar, N.K, and R.G. Aiyar,Observatiris on breeding in brackish water aniaalof Madras. 1939 Proc.Indian Acad.Soi.(B), 9(1 ):343-64 Panikkar, N.K. and M.K. Menon,Prawn fisheries of India.Proo.Indo-Pacif,Fisb,Couri., 6(3): 1956 328-44 Panikkar, N.K, and R. Viawanathan,Active regulation of chloride in Metapenaeus monoceros 1948 Fabricìus.Nature, Lond., l6(4082):137.8 Pradhan, L.B.,Maokerol fishery of Karwar.Indian J,Fish., 3(l):141-85 1956 Qureshi, LB., Shrimp fisheries of Pakistan.Proc.Indo-Pacif.Fish.Coun., 6(3)359-62 1956 Racek, A.A. and W. Dall,Littoral Penaeinae (Crustacoa Decapoda) from Northern Australia, New 1965 Guinea and adjacent waters.Verh.K.ned.Akad,Wet.(2), 56(3)l-ll9 Rao, IC.?,,Oxygen oonsumption as a function of size and salinity in Metaponaeua monoceros Fabr, 1958 from the marine and brackish water environments.J.exp.Biol., 35(2)3O7-.l3 Reddy, O.R.,Physiological studios on Crustacea.Thesis, University of Madras, (MS) 1963 Setna, S.B.,Bombay fishermen's ingenuity.J.Bombay nat.Hist.Soc,, 36z887-97 1949 Shaikbmabmud, F.S. and V.B. Tombe,Study of Bombay prawns.The seasonal fluctuation and 1960 variation in abundance of the commercially important species of Bombay prawns with a brief note on their size, stato of maturity and sex ratio.Indian J,Fish., 7(1): 69-81 Srivatea, ICR.,A survey and comparative analysis of the prawn (shrimp) fishery of the Gulf 1953 of Kutob in Saurashtra in Western India.Saurashtra, Government of Sauraehtra, India, Department of Industries and Supplies Subramanyam, M.,Lunar, diurnal and tidal jeriodioity in relation to the prawn abundance and 1965 migration in the Godavari estuarine systems.Fishery Technol., Erraicu1am, 2(1) 26-33