Early growth, lipid composition, and survival expectations of shrimp Pandalus borealis larvae in the northern Gulf of St Lawrence

Abstract

The three sampling sites were different environments with distinct water column characteristics and zooplankton community structures. Phospholipids were the most abundant (~80%) lipid class in shrimp zoea I and zoea II larvae whereas the triacylglycerols (TAG) accounted for an average of 5% of the total lipids. The distribution of TAG wet-weight ratios of shrimp larvae captured in the field was similar to laboratory reared larvae. It is proposed that survival of the first larval stage and recruitment to the shrimp stocks are influenced by the factors affecting stratification and mixing in the water column. -from Authors