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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 55(8)

Temporal and spatial distribution and abundance of blue swimmer crab (Portunus pelagicus) larvae in a temperate gulf

Simon R. Bryars A B D and Jon. N. Havenhand A C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University of South Australia, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.

B Present address: SARDI Aquatic Sciences, PO Box 120, Henley Beach, SA 5022, Australia.

C Present address: Dept. of Marine Ecology, University of Gothenburg, Tjärnö Marine Biological Laboratory, 452 96 Strömstad, Sweden.

D Corresponding author. Email: bryars.simon@saugov.sa.gov.au

Marine and Freshwater Research 55(8) 809-818 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF04045
Submitted: 3 March 2004  Accepted: 12 October 2004   Published: 16 November 2004

Abstract

A plankton-sampling programme for blue swimmer crab (Portunus pelagicus) larvae was conducted in the temperate waters of Gulf St Vincent, South Australia, to investigate: (1) if larval hatching is seasonal; (2) if larvae are restricted to surface waters; (3) if larvae are hatched offshore; and (4) if larval development occurs offshore. The temporal and spatial distribution and abundance of larvae indicated that hatching and zoeal development occur mainly in deeper offshore waters during the warmer months of November to March, and that zoeal development occurs in a range of depths from the neuston to at least 14 m. Although peaks in abundance usually occurred in the upper 3 m, zoeae were distributed throughout the water column, with the majority occurring in sub-surface waters below 1 m depth. There was no evidence for a daylight ontogenetic or tidal vertical migration in the four zoeal stages. Limited sampling revealed no evidence for a diurnal vertical migration in stage-1 zoea. Although the seasonal and inshore-offshore patterns of hatching observed in the study were typical for a portunid species, the broad vertical distribution differed from that observed for P. pelagicus in previous studies.

Extra keywords: larval concentration, larval density, megalopae, sea surface temperature.


Acknowledgments

We are deeply grateful to Andrew Hogg, Peter Daenke, Helen Lulofs, Dr Peter Strutton, Keith Rowling, Dr Claire Moss, Dr Toby Bolton, Dr John Bye, Kym Byers, Dr George Matsumoto, Dr Jim Mitchell, Dr Craig Styan, Craig Noell, Dr Rick McGarvey, the Department of Zoology at The University of Adelaide, and Dennis Holder for invaluable technical advice and unstinting laboratory and field support. This study was supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award (to SRB), and by an internal grant from Flinders University (to JNH).


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