In the time period between May/92 to April/93, 2693 (1243 males and 1450 females) specimens of Penaeus paulensis Pérez Farfante, 1967 were collected. The shrimps were captured by night using a hand net in äreas between 30 to 150 cm deep. The abundance of P. paulensis is regulated mainly by the temperature, the summer being the season of greater profusion. The major recruiting period takes place in the Spring with shrimps measuring between 1,0 to 3,0 cm and approximately 2,0 months old. The population reaches the pre-adult in the Fall-Winter period with average length between 8,8 cm (females) and 9,3 cm (males). The migration to the ocean occurs during the Winter. The artisanal fishing in the Conceição Lake is predatory, acting upon the young and pre-adult shrimps, which may jeopardize the marine reproducer stock.
Penaeus paulensis; populational structure; growth; migration; Conceição Lake