Penaeoid shrimp fisheries resources in the Zhujiang Estuary

摘要

The Zhujiang (Pearl River) Estuary (22°00′ ～22°45′N, 113°30′ ～ 114°00′E), created by the inflow of fresh water from various tributaries of the Zhujiang, is the largest estuarine system in the southern China with an area of about 2 300 km~2. Average depth of the water body is about 4 m. Water in the estuary is characterized by wide range of salinity (12～20) and temperature (11～31℃). Enriched by large amounts of river-borne nutrients, the estuary supports substantial populations of planktonic organisms which serve as food for species utilized in the fishery. The annual commercial harvest is estimated to be over 5 x 10~4 t. Yet there have been no comprehensive studies on the species composition and abundance in the catches. The present paper reports a survey on the fishery resources of the Zhujiang Estuary with emphasis on the penaeoid shrimps (order Decapoda, superfamily Penaeoidea) which are of major commercial importance.