Biologia e pesca do amarão-canela, Macrobrachium acanthurus (Crustacea, Palaemonidae), no estuário do Rio Japaratuba, Estado de Sergipe

Abstract

The freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium acanthurus, is an important fishing resource of Sergipe State’s coastal zone, being caught with traps in the Japaratuba River’s estuary. The samplings were taken in the period from January to December, 2011, adding up to 1,800 individuals, out of which 57.7% were males and 42.3% females. The mean annual cape length (CL) was 20.1 mm (males) and 15.6 mm (females), both of them with a modal length of 16.0 mm, having the mean length at first sexual maturity being estimated as 11.9 mm CL. The females were predominant in number in the period from April do September, which was shown to coincide with the reproduction season and the height of harvest for that species. The recruitment, as measured through the mean monthly size variation, extended over the continuous range of October to May. The fishing effort was measured as 100 traps-day, with a corresponding yield of 10.0 kg, and monthly revenues of US$1,800.00 (harvest’s peak) and US$ 200.00 (low harvest). With the aim of protecting the stock of M. acanthurus, this research work has provided valuable information to subsidize its sound management in Sergipe State.