SPECIFIC IDENTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT OF DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF EARLY PENAEID SHRIMP LARVAE IN THE GULF OF CARPENTARIA, AUSTRALIA

摘要: Methods for obtaining eggs and rearing larvae ofpenaeid shrimp at sea, in remote areas, were developed used to build a comprehensive larval reference collection taxonomic purposes. Because of the large amount morphological variation within species character overlap between species, multivariate numerical identification technique, discriminant analysis, was tested using four speciesofPenaeus:p. esculentus;P. latisulcatus; P. merguiensis; semisulcatus, our collection. The overall accuracy technique is high (>85%) can be increased by narrowing range natural considered, expense decreasing number positively identified. Application first zoeal plankton collections from Gulf Carpentaria, Australia, shows discrete, discontinuous dis tributions which delimit spawning activity degree not possible sampling histological examination adult shrimp.