The biological features of banana shrimp, Penaeus merguiensis (de man, 1888) from Kedah coastal water

Abstract

This study was done to determine the biological features of banana shrimp, P. merguiensis in terms of size distribution, sex ratio, carapace length (CL) and body weight (BW) relationship, and size of physical maturity. From total of 300 samples collected from Pulau sayak, Kedah (5°39'N; 100° 19'E) the sex ratio was identified as 0.91:1 where the female contributed 52.33 % of the population. The dominant male and female size range was 4.5-4.99 cm CL with 50.35% for male and 40.13% for female samples. The CL-BW relationship for male shrimp was attained as BW=l .949e0·489CL (R 2 =0.741) and for female relationship was BW=l .424e0·55cL (R2=0. 787). The mean size range was 4. 77 cm CL ± 0.36 for male and 4.85 cm CL ± 0.46 for female samples. According to the linear regression of carapace length (CL) against meropodite length on male and female of P. merguiensis, the results on CLso were 4.27 cm and 4.37 cm respectively. The value of CL50 was taken from intersection point on 3rd meropodite length. The data obtained from this study can be used as baseline data which is useful in aquaculture field and to attain sustainable used.