RANGE EXTENSIONS OF METAPENAEOPSIS LAMELLATA (DE HAAN) AND TRACHYPENAEUS CURVIROSTRIS (STIMPSON) (CRUSTACEA DECAPODA) OFF SOUTH WESTERN AUSTRALIA

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 1 decade ago

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Introduction: Two widespread species of ludo-west Pacific penaeid prawns, Metapenaeopsis lamellata (de Haan) and Trachypenaeus curvirostris (Stimpson) have previously been recorded on the West Australian coast as far south as Shark Bay. They are now recorded about 750 km further south. Specimens are all lodged in the Western Australian Museum and registration numbers are prefixed by WAM. Carapace length of specimens are abbreviated as CL.

Metapenaeopsis lamellata (de Haan, 1850)

A single female specimen (WAM 98-87), 17 mm CL, was collected in February 1986 by a commercial prawn fisherman from the entrance channel of the Peel Harvey Estuary, Mandurah (32° 31'S, 115°43'E), Western Australia. The specimen was caught on a medium to strong outgoing tide, using beam-tide nets within 1.2 m of the surface in 4 m of water over a sandy substrate. The diagnostic features are detailed by Racek and Dall (1965). The coloration of this specimen in life was reddish pink with bright red on the legs, pleopods and dorsal ridges of the carapace. The posterior segments, telson and uropods were cream-white. This record of M. lamellata from Mandurah extends the range of this species approximately 760 km south of its previously known southern limit, Shark Bay, Western Australia (Grey et al.1983). The species occurs throughout tropical Australia, New Guinea, South East Asia, China and Japan (Grey et al. 1983).

Trachypenaeus curvirostris (Stimpson, 1860)

Four specimens (WAM 97-87) two males, 13 mm and 14 mm CL (petasma missing from the latter) and two females, both 20 mm CL were collected in commercial trawls from Singleton (32° 27'S,' 115°44'E), Western Australia. A further series was collected northcwest of Rottnest Island (31° 59'S, 115° 34'E). This species is commonly taken in commercial catches of p. latisulcatus from sandy substrate between limestone reefs at 12 m. The diagnostic features of this species are detailed by Dall (1957). The coloration in life was a light, reddish pink, with darker reddish banding in the posterior dorsal edge of the body segments which tapered into the basic body colour laterally. The legs were white to pink, turning light brown towards the body. The records of T. curvirostris from Singleton and north-west of Rottnest Island extend the range 750 km and 690 km respectively south of its previous known southern limit Shark Bay (Grey et al. 1983). This widespread species occurs from East Africa, Egypt, Mediterranean Sea, Israel, Turkey, China, Japan, South-East Asia and New Guinea (Grey et al. 1983).

Acknowledgements: Mr Greg Davis of the Western Australian Department of Fisheries for collected specimens of T. curvirostris. Mr Phillip Okamoto collected the specimen of M. lamellata. I thank Miss Linda Cavanaugh for help in the field. The estuarine fish group, Murdoch University for support and finally Dr W. Dall ofCSIRO, Cleveland, Queensland for the identification of the specimens.