Influence of salinity and geographical locations of Mekong river estuaries on the abundance and biomass of rough river shrimp Macrobrachium equidens Dana, 1852 (Crustacea, Palaemonidae)

Abstract

The Mekong river estuaries play a crucial role as a breeding ground for shrimp and various other valuable aquatic species. However, the scientific understanding of shrimp assemblages in this area remains limited. Therefore, the objective of this research is to investigate the density and biomass of the rough river shrimp Macrobrachium equidens, a highly valuable shrimp species in terms of nutrition and economy, in three Mekong river estuaries: Co Chien, Ham Luong, and Cua Dai. Additionally, environmental parameters were measured to assess their interactions with shrimp distributions. The results indicated that Cua Dai had the highest total density and biomass, followed by Ham Luong and Co Chien. However, the density and biomass of the rough river shrimp did not show significant variations among the estuaries but rather differed based on the salinity gradient. Salinity emerged as the primary factor influencing shrimp distribution. This study provides fundamental ecological data on the rough river shrimp, contributing to conservation efforts and sustainable exploitation in the future.