Population biology of the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium brasiliense (Heller, 1862) in the Middle Amazon Region, Brazil
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The population structure and reproduction of Macrobrachium brasiliense were studied with the aim of better understanding the ecology of this species in relation to the Amazonian flood-pulse regime. A total of 3,306 animals were caught monthly from August 2011 to July 2013 at the Carú River, Itacoatiara, Amazonas State (Brazil). The average carapace length of males (6.87 ± 3.45 mm) and females (6.88 ± 4.78 mm) did not differ significantly (U = 0.608; p= 0.5432) for the overall study period. The sex ratio was biased toward females (M:F = 1:1.61; χ2=83.855; p< 0.0001). The reproduction was continuous, and although juveniles were present throughout the study period, the recruitment occurred primarily during the ebb (August–September) and drought (October–December) periods. Macrobrachium brasiliense presents a low number of large eggs, and egg volume increased during embryogenesis, by 21.1% from Stage I to III. The population size-frequency distribution presented no correlation with the abiotic variables, but its reproductive period seems to be related to the Amazonian flood-pulse regime.
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