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Fecundity of Nephrops norvegicus from the Irish Sea

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 April 2009

N. McQuaid
Affiliation:
Water Management Unit, Environment ad Heritage Service, 17 Lisburn Rd BT28 3AL
R.P. Briggs*
Affiliation:
Fisheries and Aquatic Ecosystems Branch, AFBI Headquarters, Newforge Lane, Belfast BT9 5PX
D. Roberts
Affiliation:
Queen's University Belfast, School of Biological Sciences, Medical Biology Centre, Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: R.P. Briggs, Fisheries and Aquatic Ecosystems Branch, AFBI Headquarters, Newforge Lane, Belfast BT9 5PX email: [email protected]

Abstract

Potential fecundity, number of oocytes in the mature ovary, and realized fecundity, number of eggs extruded and attached to the pleopods of female Nephrops, caught at the start of the incubation period were estimated for females from the eastern and western Irish Sea grounds. Potential fecundity was found to differ significantly between eastern and western Irish Sea stocks, while realized fecundity did not differ between areas. Inter-year comparison of realized fecundity, and effective fecundity (the number of mature eggs on the pleopods of females at the end of the incubation period) in the western Irish Sea stocks revealed no significant variation over time. Egg loss during the transition from oocytes in the ovary to mature eggs increased with female size, ranging from 40% at 25 mm carapace length (CL) to 65% at 40 mm CL. No relationship was found between egg diameter or volume and female size.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2009

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