Integrated assessment of reproductive biology and population parameters of the Lessepsian shrimp Marsupenaeus japonicus (Decapoda: Penaeidae) in the Gulf of Antalya, eastern Mediterranean

Yaşar Özvarol

doi:10.26881/oahs-2026.1.17

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Integrated assessment of reproductive biology and population parameters of the Lessepsian shrimp Marsupenaeus japonicus (Decapoda: Penaeidae) in the Gulf of Antalya, eastern Mediterranean

Oceanological and Hydrobiological Studies

AHEAD OF PRINT

By: Yaşar Özvarol

Open Access

|Jun 2026

Abstract

Objectives

This study provides an integrated assessment of the population structure, growth and reproductive biology of the kuruma shrimp (Marsupenaeus japonicus) in the Gulf of Antalya, based on monthly sampling between January and December 2018.

Methods

A total of 516 individuals (267 females, 249 males) were collected using shrimp trammel nets. Sex ratio, total length (TL), body weight, gonadosomatic index (GSI) and gonadal maturity stages were analyzed. Length–weight relationships (LWR) and size at first sexual maturity (TL₅₀) were estimated.

Results

The sex ratio (1.07:1) did not differ significantly from 1:1 (p > 0.05). Females were significantly larger than males, with mean TLs of 16.9 ± 2.16 cm and 14.9 ± 1.23 cm, respectively (p < 0.001). GSI values pointed to a prolonged reproductive period from April to November, with peak activity in July (6.13) and August (6.06). Monthly GSI was strongly correlated with seawater temperature (r = 0.85, p < 0.01). TL₅₀ for females was estimated at 15.3 cm TL.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that M. japonicus maintains an extended reproductive season in the Gulf of Antalya and exhibits sex-specific growth patterns. The estimated TL₅₀ and peak spawning period offer useful reference points for fisheries management, particularly for setting minimum landing sizes and seasonal fishing restrictions to support stock sustainability.

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