Spatio-temporal structure of the deep-water shrimp Aristeus antennatus (Decapoda: Aristeidae) population in the western Mediterranean

The spatio-temporal structure of a population of the deep-water shrimp Aristeus antennatus on the fishing grounds off Barcelona, Spain, in the western Mediterranean Sea was studied, and the relationship between fluctuations in catch of this species and spatio-temporal changes in the size and sex composition of shoals is described. Fluctuations were monitored by using a sample design based on fixed seasonal sampling of three different habitats (upper submarine canyon, middle slope, and lower slope). The results explain changes in fishing fleet and fishing location. The stock appears to remain constant a approximately optimum levels of exploitation because part of it is unexploited below 1,000 m. Factorial correspondence analysis indicate a generally strong influence of depth on the abundance of deep-water shrimp, explaining 63.14% of the variance. However, the influence of seasonality was stronger when only samples taken at depths shallower than 1,000 m (75.22%) were considered. Females contributed most to the catches on the upper and middle slope throughout the year, and catches of females were strongly related to seasonality (P