Vol. 38 No. 4, 1999

Ovary Development of the Deep-water Shrimp Aristaeomorpha foliacea (Risso, 1826) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Aristeidae) from Taiwan

Hui-Chen Kao¹, Tin-Yam Chan^1,* and Hsiang-Ping Yu²

¹Institute of Marine Biology, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan 202
²Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan 202

Hui-Chen Kao, Tin-Yam Chan and Hsiang-Ping Yu (1999) Aristaeomorpha foliacea (Risso, 1826) is a commercially harvested deep-water shrimp in Taiwan. Considerable changes in the color and shape of the ovary occur during the maturation of this species. According to the relationships among the general appearance of the ovary, histology of ovarian tissues and gonadosomatic index, 4 distinct stages of ovarian development can be defined. The final stage, a ripe ovary is pale black and clearly visible through the carapace, and it can be a reliable guide for judging of stage of maturation. There is evidence that development of the ovary is induced by copulation. The arrangement of developing oocytes in a rouleau formation is unique for this species among shrimp.

Key words: Ovary development, Histology, Deep-water shrimp, Aristaeomorpha foliacea, Taiwan.

*Correspondence: -