Sudnik S.A.1, Falkenhaug T.2 2015. Maturation, fecundity and embryos development in three deep-water shrimps (Decapoda: Caridea: Pasiphaeidae, Oplophoridae) along the mid-Atlantic Ridge from Iceland to the Azores // Arthropoda Selecta. Vol.24. No.4: 401–416 [in English].
1 Kaliningrad State Technical University, Sovietsky pr., 1, Kaliningrad, 236000 Russia. E-mail: lanasudnik@mail.ru
2 Institute of Marine Research, Flшdevigen, N-4817, His, Norway. E-mail: tone.falkenhaug@imr.no
KEY WORDS: pelagic shrimps; reproductive strategies; sex identification; fecundity; embryos development.
ABSTRACT. The aim of this study is description of the reproductive characters of three species of deepwater caridean shrimps. Ovarian maturity staging and staging of embryos development in these species are described for the first time. Ovarian maturation, fecundity and eggs size, type of spawning and characteristics of embryos development integrally reflect reproductive patterns in Parapasiphae sulcatifrons, Acanthephyra pelagica and A. purpurea. All these species generally have K-strategy traits. However the two Acanthephyra spp. which live in shallower water layers and possess morphological plesiomorphies show K-strategy with important components of r-strategy (i.e. relatively large number of small but lecithotrophic larvae). P. sulcatifrons which is a bathypelagic species characterized by some apomorphies has extreme K-strategy traits and produces small numbers of large lecithotrophic larvae.