BIOLOGICAL SURVEY ON PENAEUS INDICUS IN THE JASK AREA (OMAN SEA)

The indian white prawn (Penaeus indicus), as one of the commercially important and dominant species along the East coast of Hormozgan province, is a very potential and prospective candidate species for shrimp farming. Since, there wasn't well enough information about biology of this species from Iranian wateres, therefore. some biological aspects such as growth rate, reproduction behaviour distribution pattern and feeding habits were studied from March 1997 to March 1998. Monthly sampling were carried out from the fishing grounds and estuaries of Jask area in the Oman Sea by small trawlers and beach seines gears. Initial growth 01 male was faster than female, with calculated K=l.5 for male and K=1.3 for female. Isometric growth trend was observed in both sexes. Sexual maturity attained within the first 12 months. Spawners were occured abundantly during post-winter, spring and beginning of summer. Postlarvae and sub-adults were found in the esturies with 25-100 mm length, and high densities were observed around the mangrove's roots. They spend at least 3 to 5 months of their life span in the esturies. Analysis of stomach contents revealed that this species is an omnivore with indicative contents of detritus, polychaetes, crustaceane, bivalves, algae and sand particles, with preponderance of vegetable constituents in the sub-adults and of detritus in adults.