Biometric analysis of lacustrine and riverine populations of Palemonetes antennarius (H. Milne-Edwards, 1837) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Palaemonidae) from north-western Greece

Comparative study of morphometric measurements was undertaken on populations of Palaemonetes antennarius from two freshwater habitat zones (lacustrine pelagic and lacustrine littoral) and from the fluvial littoral habitat zone of three estuaries of north-western Greece. Multivariate statistical analyses (principal component analysis and discriminant function analysis) revealed clear morphometric differences between sexes and sampling sites. The observed differences are expressed mainly thought the measurements related to the body heights (carapace height and second pleon height), as a result of sexual dimorphism, High values for the female body heights seem to be correlated to specific fecundity profile and reproductive strategy. On the other hand, morphometrical variables related mainly to body lengths, such as rostral, telson and pleon lengths, were observed to be correlated to the study sites. Characters related to the summing capacity (telson length, telson width and pleon lengths) were generally found to have higher values in the specimens from habitats with high reophilic profile.