Morphological features and ecological aspects of early juvenile specimens of the aristeid shrimp Aristeus antennatus (Risso, 1816)

Abstract

The present study describes some aspects of the morphology and ecology of early juveniles (<16 mm carapace length, or CL) of the aristeid deep-sea shrimp Aristeus antennatus (Risso, 1816) in the Catalan Sea (western Mediterranean). Early juveniles of this species were captured for the first time near the bottom at soundings between 335 and 1286 m. The appendages (pereiopods, telson, uropodal exopodite) were proportionally longer in these juveniles than in adults. Development of the petasma in males is described and is found to be complete at a minimum juvenile size of 19 mm CL. Thus, size at first reproduction could be from 21 mm CL. Diet of the early juveniles was based mainly on suprabenthic prey and dominated by peracarid crustaceans inhabiting the water–sediment interface. Recruitment of early juveniles occurs in winter mainly on the lower slope (1100–1286 depth). The biological cycle of A. antennatus in relation to the ecology of its deep-sea habitat is discussed.