Xiphopenaeus kroyeri
Encyclopedia
Xiphopenaeus kroyeri, commonly called the Atlantic seabob, is a commercially important prawn
. It is up to 140 mm (5.5 in) long and is the most intensely fished prawn species in the Guianas
and along much of the Gulf Coast of the United States
.
has five teeth near the base, but is smooth along the tip, which is greatly elongated and often curves upwards to varying degrees.
from North Carolina
to Santa Catarina state
, Brazil
. It is the most important commercial prawn in parts of the United States
from Pensacola
(in the Florida Panhandle
) to Texas
, and in the Guianas
. In other areas, such as Mexico
, Nicaragua
, Honduras
and Trinidad
, the fishing effort is only locally intensive. In the years 2000–2007, the annual catch was greater than 40000 tonnes (88,184,904.9 lb).
by Camill Heller
in 1862, under the name Penaeus kroyeri. It was transferred to the genus Xiphopenaeus in 1869 by Sidney Irving Smith
. X. kroyeri has been considered conspecific with the Pacific
species X. riveti, but recent genetic analysis
indicates that the two are separate species, and that X. kroyeri (sensu stricto) may even constitute two cryptic species.
Prawn
Prawns are decapod crustaceans of the sub-order Dendrobranchiata. There are 540 extant species, in seven families, and a fossil record extending back to the Devonian...
. It is up to 140 mm (5.5 in) long and is the most intensely fished prawn species in the Guianas
The Guianas
The Guyanas or the Guianas refers to a region in north-eastern South America which includes the following three territories:* French Guiana, an overseas department of France;...
and along much of the Gulf Coast of the United States
Gulf Coast of the United States
The Gulf Coast of the United States, sometimes referred to as the Gulf South, South Coast, or 3rd Coast, comprises the coasts of American states that are on the Gulf of Mexico, which includes Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida and are known as the Gulf States...
.
Description
Adults grow to 70–140 mm (2.8–5.5 ) long, with males only reaching 115 mm (4.5 in). The rostrumRostrum (anatomy)
The term rostrum is used for a number of unrelated structures in different groups of animals:*In crustaceans, the rostrum is the forward extension of the carapace in front of the eyes....
has five teeth near the base, but is smooth along the tip, which is greatly elongated and often curves upwards to varying degrees.
Distribution and fishery
X. kroyeri lives in the western Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
from North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
to Santa Catarina state
Santa Catarina (state)
Santa Catarina is a state in southern Brazil with one of the highest standards of living in Latin America. Its capital is Florianópolis, which mostly lies on the Santa Catarina Island. Neighbouring states are Rio Grande do Sul to the south and Paraná to the north. It is bounded on the east by...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. It is the most important commercial prawn in parts of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from Pensacola
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
(in the Florida Panhandle
Florida Panhandle
The Florida Panhandle, an informal, unofficial term for the northwestern part of Florida, is a strip of land roughly 200 miles long and 50 to 100 miles wide , lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia also on the north, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Its eastern boundary is...
) to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and in the Guianas
The Guianas
The Guyanas or the Guianas refers to a region in north-eastern South America which includes the following three territories:* French Guiana, an overseas department of France;...
. In other areas, such as Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
and Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
, the fishing effort is only locally intensive. In the years 2000–2007, the annual catch was greater than 40000 tonnes (88,184,904.9 lb).
Taxonomy
Xiphopenaeus kroyeri was first describedAlpha taxonomy
Alpha taxonomy is the discipline concerned with finding, describing and naming species of living or fossil organisms. This field is supported by institutions holding collections of these organisms, with relevant data, carefully curated: such institutes include natural history museums, herbaria and...
by Camill Heller
Camill Heller
Camill Heller was a zoologist and anatomist.Heller was born in Sobochleben near Teplitz in Bohemia . He received a doctorate in medical studies in Vienna in 1849...
in 1862, under the name Penaeus kroyeri. It was transferred to the genus Xiphopenaeus in 1869 by Sidney Irving Smith
Sidney Irving Smith
Sidney Irving Smith was an American zoologist.-Private life:Sidney Smith was the son of Elliot Smith and Lavinia Barton. His brother in law was Addison Emery Verrill. Smith married Eugenia Pocahontas Barber in New Haven, Connecticut on June 29, 1882...
. X. kroyeri has been considered conspecific with the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
species X. riveti, but recent genetic analysis
Genetic analysis
Genetic analysis can be used generally to describe methods both used in and resulting from the sciences of genetics and molecular biology, or to applications resulting from this research....
indicates that the two are separate species, and that X. kroyeri (sensu stricto) may even constitute two cryptic species.