| Traditional fishing using beach seines was studied over a period of one year at the mouth of the Onilahy river. The catches/efforts were recorded on a daily basis, biological sampling and the measurement of hydrological parameters being carried out twice a month. The moderate variations of salinity and temperature (14 < salinity < 35; 25 degrees C < temperature < 30 degrees C) which were observed in the estuary can be explained by the semiarid climate of the area. Four species of penaeid shrimps are to be found on the Onilahy: Metapenaeus monoceros, Panaeus indicus, Penaeus monodon and Penaeus japonicus, which were mainly caught at the subadult/adult stage with a Carapace length between 10 and 50 mm. The presence of these important sizes at the... |
