Peracarid crustaceans of central Laguna Madre Tamaulipas in the southern gulf of Mexico

Abstract

A total of 6,734 of peracarid crustaceans belonging to 3 orders (Amphipoda, Mysidacea, and Isopoda), 17 families, 25 genera, and 30 species were recorded in the central region of Laguna Madre. The Amphipoda constituted 58% of total density (ind/m2), whereas the Mysidacea and Isopoda represented 29 and 13%, respectively. The amphipods Cymadusa compta and Elasmopus levis, and the isopod Harrieta faxoni were the numerically dominant species. The maximum density values were recorded in submersed aquatic vegetation and sites close to the channels during the "norther" season, when the water temperature decreased. © 2005 by the Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium of Alabama.