Species Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (South Florida) - Pink Shrimp

摘要

The pink shrimp (Penaeus duorarum) supports the most economically important commercial fishery in Florida. In 1981, exvessel landings, exclusive of the bait-shrimp catch, totalled 17 million pounds (heads-off), valued at $45 million. Nearly half (48%) of the catch is taken from the Tortugas grounds, a fishing area not discovered until 1949; 28% of the catch is from the Sanibel grounds. Florida Bay and Charlotte Harbor/Tampa Bay are the nursery areas providing recruitment stocks for the Tortugas and Sanibel grounds, respectively. Larval pink shrimp immigrate from the offshore spawning grounds to estuarine and coastal bay nursery areas. Monthly growth rates during the juvenile stage of development vary from 7 to 52 mm TL. Sexual maturity is attained at 9 to 10 weeks of age. Spawning occurs year-round. The pink shrimp functions in the marine ecosystem as both a predatory and a prey species. Pink shrimp, in estuarine habitats, tolerate a wide range of water temperatures and salinities. Pollution by petrol- and non-petrol chemicals poses a potential contamination hazard to both pink shrimp and their estuarine habitats.