DECAPOD CRUSTACEANS CAPTURED ALONG WITH THE SEA-BOB SHRIMP FISHERIES ON NON-CONSOLIDATED SUBLITORAL FROM NORTHERN COAST OF SAO PAULO, BRAZIL

Studies on natural communities are essential for a correct interpretation of the disturbing events, either natural or anthropic. Many species which are not the target of fisheries are captured in te shrimp fishery. Such fact is attributed to the non-selective fishery device used (double-rig trawl), that destabilizes the benthic community. This study provides a landscape on the crustacean decapods community, captured more than 20 years ago by means the shrimp fishery of the X. kroyeri (sea-bob shrimp) at the northern littoral of Sao Paulo. Samples were collected monthly from November/1988 to October/1989 at the Fortaleza bay. A total of 20377 specimens of 44 species were obtained. The most abundant was X. kroyeri with 13206 individuals. The higher values of diversity index (Shannon-Wiener) were obtained in the sites II and V, which are fishery natural exclusion areas. Our results show that the decapod diversity can be affected in those areas in which the fishery activity is more intense.