New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

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Field estimation of daily ration of Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) in the south of Portugal

Margarida Cristo
Margarida Castro

Centro de Ciências do Mar
Universidade do Algarve
Campus de Gambelas 8005-139
Faro, Portugal
email: mcristo@ualg.pt

Abstract  Daily ration estimates of Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) from field samplings over a 24-h cycle were obtained. Four tows were conducted in the middle continental slope, off the south coast of Portugal. The results from Eggers (1977, 1979) and Elliot & Persson (1978) daily ration models were compared, by the Worobec d-method (1984), showing no significant differences among them. The estimates of food consumption obtained varied from 1.098 to 1.170 g dry food per 100 g body wet weight in males and 1.642 to 1.755 g dry food per 100 g body wet weight in females. Our results were compared with daily rations reported for other crustaceans. Daily ration values were compared and tested by a two-way ANOVA, with interaction, showing significant differences between sexes. This has been registered for other decapods and may be explained by a period of active growth in females, on the onset of vitellogenesis, increasing their nutritional/feeding needs.

Keywords  daily ration; Nephrops norvegicus; feeding ecology

M04029; Online publication date 8 June 2005 Received 9 February 2004; accepted 26 August 2004
New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2005, Vol. 39: 485-491
0028-8330/05/3903-0485 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2005

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