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Taxonomy, Diversity, And Distribution Patterns Of Portunid Crab Megalopae In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico During Fall Of 2003, Carley Rain Knight
Taxonomy, Diversity, And Distribution Patterns Of Portunid Crab Megalopae In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico During Fall Of 2003, Carley Rain Knight
Master's Theses
The field of zooplankton biology contributes to more accurate stock assessments as well as to a greater understanding of the marine food web. However, adequate information for the invertebrate component of zooplankton is lacking compared to the ichthyoplankton component. In this thesis, identification of Portunidae (Crustacea: Decapoda) megalopae collected during the fall of 2003 from a NOAA SEAMAP cruise revealed 7 species and 11 morphs with 90% of the total density comprised of Callinectes sapidus, Achelous gibbesii, Callinectes similis, Achelous spinicarpus, and Achelous sp.I. Keys and detailed descriptions are provided along with photographs and morphological drawings for each morph to …