Reproductive dynamics of the pink shrimp Penaeus brasiliensis (Decapoda: Penaeidae) in south-eastern Brazil
Caroline Vettorazzi Bernabé
A B C * , Henrique David Lavander C , Cecília Fernanda Farias Craveiro D , Douglas da Cruz Mattos C , Roberta Cardozo de Paiva Garcia C E , Lucas Areias Bassul C , Carolina Trindade Perry A and Antonio Sergio Varela Junior A
A
B
C
D
E
Abstract
The pink shrimp (Penaeus brasiliensis (Latreille, 1817)) is a vital resource for artisanal fisheries in Espírito Santo, south-eastern Brazil, yet its reproductive biology in the region remains understudied.
To investigate the reproductive dynamics of P. brasiliensis, focusing on reproductive period, size at first maturation, and environmental influences to support management and conservation measures.
Shrimp specimens were collected monthly over 12 months from the coastal zone of Anchieta, Piúma and Itapemirim. Macroscopic and histological analyses identified ovarian developmental stages. Mean length at first maturation (L50) was estimated for females. Environmental parameters, including water temperature and rainfall, were measured.
In total, 304 shrimp (158 males, 146 females) were analysed, with females being significantly larger (P < 0.05). Five ovarian development stages were identified. The reproductive period spanned February to May, peaking in March and April. L50 was 132.0-mm total length and 29.5-mm cephalothorax length, indicating earlier reproduction than in other regions. Higher temperatures coincided with peak reproduction, whereas rainfall preceded reproductive activity.
The reproductive dynamics of P. brasiliensis in Espírito Santo uncovered precocious reproduction influenced by environmental factors.
Findings provide critical data for establishing effective management and conservation measures for this economically significant resource.
Keywords: artisanal fisheries, conservation, gonadosomatic index, maturation stages, ovarian development, reproduction, reproductive period, size at first maturation.
References
Abraham J, Manisseri MK (2012) Histological and morphological changes associated with ovarian development of speckeled shrimp Matapenaeus monoceros (Fabricius, 1798). Indian Journal of Fisheries 59(1), 119-124.
| Google Scholar |
Albertoni EF, Palma-Silva C, Esteves FA (2003) Crescimento e fator de condição na fase juvenil de Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis (Latreille) e F. paulensis (Pérez-Farfante) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Penaeidae) em uma lagoa costeira tropical do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Growth and condition factor in the juvenile phase of Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis (Latreille) and F. paulensis (Pérez-Farfante) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Penaeidae) in a tropical coastal lagoon of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Zoologia 20(3), 409-418 [In Portuguese with title, abstract and keywords in Portuguese and English].
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Bolognini L, Donato F, Lucchetti A, Olivotto I, Truzzi C, Randazzo B, Antonucci M, Illuminati S, Grati F (2017) A multidisciplinary approach to study the reproductive biology of wild prawns. Scientific Reports 7, 16781.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |
Boos H, Costa RC, Santos RA, Neto JD, Rodrigues ES, Rodrigues LF, D’Incao F, Ivo CTC (2016) Avaliação dos Camarões Peneídeos (Decapoda: Penaeidae). In ‘Livro vermelho dos crustáceos do Brasil: avaliação 2010-2014’. (Eds MO Pinheiro, H Boos) pp. 300–317. (Sociedade Brasileira de Carcinologia, SBC) [In Portuguese]
Boschi EE (1963) Los Camarones comerciales de la familia Penaeidae de la costa Atlantica de America del Sur. Clave para el reconocimiento de las especies y datos bioecologicos. Boletin, Instituto de Biologia Marina 3, 1-40 [In Spanish].
| Google Scholar |
Boschi EE (1969) Estudio biológico pesquero del camarón Artemesia longinaris Bate de Mar del Plata. Boletin del Instituto de Biologia Marina 18, 1-47 [In Spanish].
| Google Scholar |
Botelho ERRO, Santos MCF, Souza JRB (2001) Aspectos populacionais do Guaiamum, Cardisoma guanhumi Latreille, 1825, do estuário do Rio Una (Pernambuco−Brasil). Boletim Técnico-Científico do CEPENE 9, 123-146 [In Portuguese].
| Google Scholar |
Branco JO, Verani JR (1998) Aspectos Bioecológicos do Camarão-rosa Penaeus brasiliensis Latreille (Natantia, Penaeidae) da Lagoa da Conceição, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brasil. Bioecological aspects of the pink-shrimp Penaeus brasiliensis Latreille (Natantia, Penaeidae) of the Conceição Lake, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Zoologia 15(2), 345-351 [In Portuguese with title in Portuguese and English, and abstract and keywords in English].
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Cardoso LG, Haimovici M, Abdallah PR, Secchi ER, Kinas PG (2021) Prevent bottom trawling in southern Brazil. Science 372(6538), 138.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |
Castilho AL, Grabowski RC, Simões SM, Santos APF, Costa RC, Fransozo A (2015) Lifespan and population dynamics of the endemic South American shrimp Artemesia longinaris (Crustacea: Penaeidae) in southeastern Brazil. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências 87(4), 2123-2138.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Clark JRAL, Lynn JW, Yudin AI, Persyn HO (1980) Morphology of the cortical reaction in the eggs of Penaeus aztecus. The Biological Bulletin 158(2), 175-186.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Coelho PA, Santos MCF (1995) Época da reprodução dos camarões penaeus schmitti burkenroad, 1936 e penaeus subtilis pérez farfante, 1967 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Penaeidae), na região da foz do Rio São Francisco. Boletim Técnico Científico-CEPENE 3, 122-140 [In Portuguese].
| Google Scholar |
Costa RC, Lopes M, Castilho AL, Fransozo A, Simões SM (2008) Abundance and distribution of juvenile pink shrimps Farfantepenaeus spp. in a mangrove estuary and adjacent bay on the northern shore of São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil. Invertebrate Reproduction & Development 52(2), 51-58.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Craveiro C, Peixoto S, Silva EF, Eduardo LN, Lira AS, Castro-Neto H, Frédou F, Soares R (2019) Reproductive dynamics of the white shrimp Litopenaeus schmitti (Burkenroad 1936) in a beach seine fishery in northeastern Brazil. Invertebrate Reproduction & Development 63(2), 111-121.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Craveiro C, Castro-Neto H, Costa LB, Silva EF, De Oliveira PGV, Santos L, Soares R, Peixoto S (2023) Ovarian morphology and oocyte development in the seabob shrimp Xiphopenaeus kroyeri: a histological and histochemical approach for the study of penaeid reproduction. Aquaculture 562, 738873.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Da Costa RC, Fransozo A, Melo GAS, Freire FAM (2003) Chave ilustrada para identificação dos camarões dendrobranchiata do Litoral norte do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Biota Neotropica 3, 1-12 [In Portuguese with abstract and keywords in Portuguese and English].
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Da Costa RC, Bochini LG, Simões SM, Lopes M, Sancinetti GS, Castilho AL, Fransozo A (2016) Distribution pattern of juveniles of the pink shrimps Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis (Latreille, 1817) and F. paulensis (Pérez-Farfante, 1967) on the southeastern Brazilian coast. Nauplius 24, e2016024.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Da Rosa LC, Reis-Júnior J, Freire KMF, Barreto TMRR (2021) Biometric relationships and sex ratio for red-spotted shrimp Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis (Latreille, 1817) (Decapoda, Penaeidae) from the coast of Sergipe, northeastern Brazil. Nauplius 29, e2021002.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
De Andrade-Tubin MF, Ostrovski MC (2001) Relação Peso/Comprimento das Espécies de Camarão rosa Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis e Farfantepenaeus paulensis, no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Length/weight relationship of pink shrimps Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis and Farfantepenaeus paulensis, off Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Arquivo de Ciências do Mar 34(1–2), 137-141 [In Portuguese with title, abstract and keywords in Portuguese and English].
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
De Carvalho C, Keunecke KA, Lavrado HP (2019) Morphometric variation in pink shrimp populations at Rio de Janeiro coast (SE Brazil): are they really similar in closer areas? Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências 91(2), e20180252.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
De Sousa AN, Bernardes VP, Hiroki KAN, De Almeida AC, Teixeira GM, Fransozo A (2019) Nursery grounds of the commercially important shrimp Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis (Latreille, 1817) (Decapoda, Penaeoidea): comparison of the population structure between two periods. Pan-American Journal of Aquatic Sciences 14(1), 24-33.
| Google Scholar |
De Sousa AN, De Almeida AC, Hiroki KA, Bernardo CH, Bernardes VP, Fransozo A (2020) Responses of pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis (Latreille, 1817) (Penaeoidea) to physico-chemical parameters in a marine protected area: changes in abundance and distribution after 20 years. Journal of Natural History 54(7–8), 419-433.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
D’Incao F, Valentini H, Rodrigues LF (2002) Avaliação da pesca de camarões nas regiões sudeste e sul do Brasil 1965–1999. Atlântica 24(2), 103-116 [In Portuguese].
| Google Scholar |
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2020) ‘The state of world fisheries and aquaculture 2020: sustainability in action.’ (FAO: Rome, Italy) doi:10.4060/ca9229en
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2022) ‘The state of world fisheries and aquaculture 2022: towards blue transformation.’ (FAO: Rome, Italy) doi:10.4060/cc0461en
França NFC, De Moraes AB, Carvalho-Batista A, De Melo MCRB, López-Greco L, Mantelatto FL, Freire FAM (2019) Farfantepenaeus subtilis (Pérez-Farfante, 1967) and F. brasiliensis (Latreille, 1817) (Decapoda, Penaeidae): ontogenetic comparison using the combined analysis of secondary sexual characters and molecular markers. Fisheries Research 216, 89-95.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
França NFC, Moraes AB, Carvalho-Batista A, Melo MCRB, Zara FJ, Mantelatto FL, Freire FAM (2021) An integrative approach using DNA barcode and scanning electron microscopy for the effective identification of sympatric species of the genus Farfantepenaeus Burukovsky, 1997. Regional Studies in Marine Science 43, 101670.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Freitas F Jr, Fracasso HAA, Branco JO, Cristoffersen ML (2011) Ten-year variations in population structure of pink-shrimp in a southwestern Atlantic Bay affected by highway construction. Brazilian Journal of Oceanography 59(4), 377-390.
| Google Scholar |
Froese R, Binohlan C (2000) Empirical relationships to estimate asymptotic length, length at first maturity and length at maximum yield per recruit in fishes, with a simple method to evaluate length frequency data. Journal of Fish Biology 56(4), 758-773.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Gab-Alla AAFA, Hartnoll RG, Ghobashy AF, Mohammed SZ (1990) Biology of penaeid prawns in the Suez Canal lakes. Marine Biology 107, 417-426.
| Google Scholar |
Garcia RCP, Craveiro CFF, Bernabé CV, Silva MA, Aride PHR, Oliveira AT, Gonçalves FRSC, Neto JS, Lavander HD, Faggio C (2021) Gonadal development of females of the white shrimp Penaeus schmitti (Burkenroad, 1936) caught in southeastern Brazil. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 9(6), 653.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Gomes APP, Keunecke KA, Da Silva R Jr, Vianna M (2013) Modulating reproduction of Penaeidae shrimps: ecological responses of two sympatric species (Decapoda: Dendrobranchiata) on south-eastern Brazilian coast. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 93(3), 733-740.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Gusmão J, Lazoski C, Solé-Cava AM (2005) Population genetic structure of Brazilian shrimp species (Farfantepenaeus sp., F. brasiliensis, F. paulensis and Litopenaeus schmitti: Decapoda: Penaeidae). Genetics and Molecular Biology 28, 165-171.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Heckler GS, Lopes M, Simões SM, Shimizu RM, Da Costa RC (2014) Annual, seasonal and spatial abundance of the seabob shrimp Xiphopenaeus kroyeri (Decapoda, Penaeidae) off the southeastern coast of Brazil. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências 86(3), 1337-1346.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Hiddink JG, Jennings S, Sciberras M, Szostek CL, Hughes KM, Eliis N, Rijnsdorp AD, McConnaughey RA, Mazor T, Hilborn R, Collie JS, Pitcher CR, Amoroso RO, Parma AM, Suuronen P, Kaiser MJ (2017) Global analysis of depletion and recovery of seabed biota after bottom trawling disturbance. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 114, 8301-8306.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Hines AH (1989) Geographic variation in size at maturity in brachyuran crabs. Bulletin of Marine Science 45(2), 356-368.
| Google Scholar |
Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (2014) Instrução Normativa N° 03, de setembro de 2014. (ICMBio) Available at https://www.gov.br/icmbio/pt-br/acesso-a-informacao/institucional/legislacao/instrucoes-normativas/arquivos/in_03_2014.pdf [In Portuguese, verified 1 August 2025]
Instituto de Pesca and Universidade Federal do Estado do Espírito Santo (2023) Projeto de Monitoramento e Caracterização Socioeconômica da Atividade Pesqueira no Rio Doce e no Litoral do Espírito Santo. (IP and UFES) Available at http://propesq-es.fundepag.br [In Portuguese, verified 1 August 2025]
Leite NO Jr, Petrere M Jr (2006a) Stock assessment and fishery management of the pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis Latreille, 1970 and F. paulensis Pérez-Farfante, 1967 in southeastern Brazil (23° to 28°S. Brazilian Journal of Biology 66(1B), 263-277.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Leite NO Jr, Petrere M Jr (2006b) Growth and mortalities of the pink-shrimp Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis Latreille, 1970 and F. paulensis Pérez-Farfante 1967 in southeast Brazil. Brazilian Journal of Biology 66, 523-536.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Liñán-Cabello MA, Paniagua-Michel J, Hopkins PM (2002) Bioactive roles of carotenoids and retinoids in crustaceans. Aquaculture Nutrition 8(4), 299-309.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Lopes DF, Frédou FL, Silva E, Calazans N, Peixoto S (2017) Reproductive cycle of seabob shrimp Xiphopenaeus kroyeri (Crustacea, Penaeidea) from the northeast coast of Brazil. Invertebrate Reproduction & Development 61(3), 137-141.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Lüchmann KH, Freire AS, Ferreira NC, Daura-Jorge FG, Marques MRF (2008) Spatial and temporal variations in abundance and biomass of penaeid shrimps in the subtropical Conceição Lagoon, southern Brazil. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 88(2), 293-299.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Medeiros RP, Guanais JHDG, Santos LO, Spach HL, Silva CNS, Foppa CC, Cattani AP, Rainho AP (2013) Estratégias para a redução da fauna acompanhante na frota artesanal de arrasto do camarão sete-barbas: perspectivas para a gestão pesqueira. Strategies for bycatch reduction at small-scale shrimp trawl fishing: perspectives for fisheries management. Boletim do Instituto de Pesca de São Paulo 39(3), 339-358 [In Portuguese with title, abstract and keywords in Portuguese and English].
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Musiello-Fernandes J, Zappes CA, Hostim-Silva M (2017) Small-scale shrimp fisheries on the Brazilian coast: stakeholders perceptions of the closed season and integrated management. Ocean & Coastal Management 148, 89-96.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Nunes ET, Braga AA, Camargo-Mathias MI (2014) Histochemical study of the hepatopancreas in adult females of the pink-shrimp Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis Latreille, 1817. Acta Histochemica 116(1), 243-251.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |
Peixoto S, Cavalli RO, D’Incao F, Milach ÂM, Wasielesky W (2003) Ovarian maturation of wild Farfantepenaeus paulensis in relation to histological and visual changes. Aquaculture Research 34, 1255-1260.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Peixoto S, Calazans N, Silva EF, Nole L, Soares R, Frédou FL (2018) Reproductive cycle and size at first sexual maturity of the white shrimp Penaeus schmitti (Burkenroad, 1936) in northeastern Brazil. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research 46, 1-9.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Pérez-Roda MA, Gilman E, Huntington T, Kennelly SJ, Suuronen P, Chaloupka M, Medley PAH (2019) A third assessment of global marine fisheries discards. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper Number 633. (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: Rome, Italy ) Available at https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/141decf1-33f3-4837-a137-d6ba8b0a9456/content
Perez JAA, Pezzuto PR, Rodrigues LF, Valentini H, Vooren CM (2001) Relatório da reunião técnica de ordenamento da pesca de arrasto nas regiões sudeste e sul do Brasil. Notas Técnicas da FACIMAR 5, 1-34 [In Portuguese].
| Google Scholar |
Perroca JF, Miasaki LF, Fransozo A, Freire FAM, Costa RC (2022a) Growth, longevity and mortality of pink-shrimps Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis and F. paulensis in southeastern Brazil. Marine and Fishery Sciences 35(2), 211-226.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Perroca JF, Rodrigues-Filho JL, Fransozo A, Da Costa RC (2022b) Variations in pink-shrimps Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis and F. paulensis juvenile abundance: clarifying ecological patterns and providing subsidies to management in shallow marine ecosystems. Fisheries Research 256, 106482.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Quintero MES, Gracia A (1998) Stages of gonadal development in the spotted pink shrimp Penaeus brasiliensis. Journal of Crustacean Biology 18, 680-685.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Quintero MES, Gracia A (2002) Reproduction of the spotted pink shrimp Penaeus brasiliensis (Decapoda: Penaeidae). Journal of Shellfish Research 21, 835-841.
| Google Scholar |
Salvati DS, Perroca JF, Simões SM, Castilho AL, Da Costa RC (2021) Variation in size distribution of juvenile pink shrimps Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis and F. paulensis in the estuarine-adjacent ocean area of Cananéia, south-eastern coast of Brazil. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 101(1), 117-129.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Santos MCF, Santos CF, Branco JO, Barbieri E (2016) Caracterização da pesca e dos pescadores artesanais de camarões penaeidae em salina no município de Macau – Rio Grande do Norte. Boletim do Instituto de Pesca 42(3), 465-478 [In Portuguese].
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Secretaria de Aquicultura e Pesca and Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (2022) Portaria SAP/MAPA n° 656, de 30 de março de 2022. (SAP and MAPA) Available at https://www.in.gov.br/en/web/dou/-/portaria-sap/mapa-n-656-de-30-de-marco-de-2022-389926946 [In Portuguese, verified 1 August 2025]
Silva EF, Calazans N, Nolé L, Castelo-Branco T, Soares R, Guerra MMP, Frédou FL, Peixoto S (2016) Reproductive dynamics of the southern pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus subtilis in northeastern Brazil. Aquatic Biology 25, 29-35.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Simões SM, Heckler GS, Costa RC (2017) Reproductive period and recruitment of penaeoidea shrimp on the southeastern Brazilian coast: implications for the closed season. Crustaceana 90(7–10), 1177-1192.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Simpson AW, Watling L (2006) An investigation of the cumulative impacts of shrimp trawling on mud-bottom fishing grounds in the Gulf of Maine: effects on habitat and macrofaunal community structure. ICES Journal of Marine Science 63(9), 1616-1630.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Souza TL, Braga AA, Lópes-Greco LS, Nunes ET (2017) Dynamics of oogenesis in ghost shrimp Callichirus major (Crustacea: Axiidea): a morphofunctional and histochemical study. Acta Histochemica 119(8), 769-777.
| Crossref | Google Scholar | PubMed |
Sparre P, Venema SC (1998) Introduction to tropical fish stock assessment. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper Number 306/1. (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: Rome, Italy) Available at https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/bc7c37b6-30df-49c0-b5b4-8367a872c97e/content
Teodoro SSA, Terossi M, Mantelatto FL, Costa RC (2016) Discordance in the identification of juvenile pink shrimp (Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis and F. paulensis: Family Penaeidae): an integrative approach using morphology, morphometry and barcoding. Fisheries Research 183, 244-253.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Valentini H, D’Incao F, Rodrigues LF, Dumont LF (2012) Evolução da pescaria industrial de camarão-rosa (Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis e F. paulensis) na costa sudeste e sul do Brasil – 1968–1989. Atlântica 34, 157-171 [In Portuguese].
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Vasques RO, Couto EdCG (2011) Percepção dos pescadores quanto ao estabelecimento do período de defeso da pesca de arrasto para a região de ilhéus (Bahia, Brasil). The perception of the Ilhéus shrimp fishermen (Bahia, Brazil) regarding the shrimp close season establishment. Revista de Gestão Costeira Integrada 11(4), 479-485 [In Portuguese with title, abstract and keywords in Portuguese and English].
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Wenner AM (1972) Sex ratio as a function of size in marine Crustacea. The American Naturalist 106(949), 321-350.
| Crossref | Google Scholar |
Young LC, Southers IM, Johnson DD, Gray CA, Ochwada-Doyle FA (2018) Don’t blame it on the moonlight: abiotic drivers of reproductive development in an estuarine-dependent prawn. Estuaries and Coasts 41(2), 444-452 Available at https://www.jstor.org/stable/44857939.
| Google Scholar |
