Peches experimentales des crustaces profonds dans les eaux de la martinique ( pandalidae, nephropidae ). Prospections, rendements et biologie des especes.

The principal objective of the work carried out in the deep waters adjoining the island shelf around Martinique between July 1991 and april 1992 was to establish an initial inventory of potentially exploitable deep benthic resources.The cylindrical lobster pot used during fishing experiments allowed the catch of a varied carcinological marine organisms of which six species at least have economic interest : 5 species of shrimp all belonging to the sub-order of Caridea of the Pandalidae family : Plesionika edwardsi, P. (macropoda) polyacanthomerus, P.laevis, Heterocarpus ensifer and H.laevigatus, and one species of prawn of the Nephropidae family : Eunephrops cadenasi. The yields, compared to those of commercial fishermen, were medium or good for Plesionika edwardsi and P. (macropoda) polyacanthomerus between depths of 200 - 300 metres ; for Plesionika laevis and Eunephrops cadenasi in the vicinity 500 metres ; for Heterocarpus laevigatus below 700 metres. The species Heterocarpus ensifer , of which the vertical distribution is very spread out from 170 to 600 metres, seems divided into two populations which provide good yields about 300 metres and below of 450 mètres. Data on the environment and the biology of the species where also established, especially on growth and breeding. For example growth of the pandalids is relatively rapid and their life cycle rather short, between three and four or five years according to the species. At least 2 principal egg-laying seasons occur in the annual cycle. Information is given on the isopoda of the family of Cirolanidae, Bathynomus giganteus, which could eventually, under certain conditions, become of interest to the fishermen.