Distribution, reproduction, and feeding of West African shrimp Plesionika carinata Holthuis, 1951 (Decapoda, Pandalidae)

Abstract

Plesionika carinata is endemic in the West African tropical biogeographical realm and is distributed from the western Sahara coast (23°35′ N) to southern Namibia (29° S). A total of 263 individuals with a total carapace length of 31 to 71 mm have been studied. P. carinata juveniles are pelagic and occur over depths from 340 to 2000 m or more, mainly over the lower part of the continental slope in summer and over the upper part of the continental slope in autumn. Adults are mainly benthic and occur on the edge of the shelf and the upper part of the continental slope (at depths of 300 to 880 m). Ovigerous females have 750 to 3330 eggs 0.45–0.5 × 0.5–0.65 mm in size on pleopods. Plesionika carinata feeds on abundant micronectonic and macroplanktonic crustaceans (euphausiids and pelagic shrimps) at earlier pelagic stages; it is detritophagous/necrophagous and predatory near the bottom when adult.