COMPARATIVE MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF [i]NEOMYSIS INTEGER[/i] (LEACH, 1815) IN 2006–2007 PERIOD

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a detailed comparative description of the morphological characters of N. integer obtained during eight research seasons in 2006-2007 period from the region stretching from Świnoujście to Darłowo. An attempt was made to assess the suitability of the studied characters for establishing to which populations individuals belong, to identify secondary sex traits and to detect differences in the body shape of these shrimp-like crustaceans. Most of the measurable characters in all of the samples discrimination analysis indicated the characters which differentiated the compared groups were telson length, lower abdomen width, exopodite uropod length, cephalothorax width below the carapace, cephalothorax width above the carapace and the height of fourth and fifth abdominal segment connections.