Annual abundance variation of Farfantepenaeus californiensis (Holmes, 1900) in the Gulf of Tehuantepec

The annual abundance variation of recruits (FR index) and spawners (DA index) of Farfantepenaeus californiensis was modeled with age groups related with the natural processes of recruitment and reproduction in the Gulf of Tehuantepec (GT). The FR index was modeled using the age group of four months and the DA index with the age groups from 6 to 11 months. The relationships between the sea surface temperature (SST) and both population indices from 1989 to 1998 were quantified, between these and the concentration of the Chlorophyll a (Cl a) from November 1996 to May 1998. In both intervals, the SST had a correlation directly proportional with FR and inversely proportional with DA. In the second interval, the CI a was greater during the two maximum abundance DA and lesser during the maximum FR. During October-November and January, spawners abundance was greater than the abundance of recruits. The maximus DA agreed with maximus of CI a and minimus SST during the Nortes season. The massive recruitment to the marine environment was observed in July and August-September when the oceanographic conditions in the GT are inverse to those described for the DA index. The annual abundance variation of the FR and DA indices remains constant with the presence of "El Nino" in the GT, but its abundance diminishes.