Morphometric structure and allometry profiles of the giant red shrimp Aristaeomorpha foliacea (Risso, 1827) in the eastern Mediterranean

Abstract

The relative growth of body parts, such as abdomen, uropod, scaphocerite, telson, rostrum, and the third pereiopod of males and females of the giant red shrimp (Aristaeomorpha foliacea, Risso, 1827) was studied in samples from the Greek Ionian Sea (eastern Mediterranean) in 1999–2000. These were related to carapace length, sex and size of individuals. A length–weight relationship was also obtained. In general, a negative allometry of swimming appendages (uropod, scaphocerite), abdomen (related to metabolic processes), and length of the third pereiopod (involved in walking ability) was observed in both sexes. Growth of the telson was positively allometric in females and negatively allometric in males. Asynchronous growth of the male rostrum was also noted. Appendages were proportionally longer in juveniles than in adults of both sexes. A strong negative allometry between length–weight for both sexes was shown, and females were heavier than males in all sampled months.