Zoological Studies 38(4): 373-378 (1999) Ovary Development of the Deep-water Shrimp Aristaeomorpha foliacea

is a commercially harvested deep-water shrimp in Taiwan. Considerable changes in the color and shape of the ovary occur during the maturation of this species. According to the relationships among the general appearance of the ovary, histology of ovarian tissues and gonadosomatic index, 4 distinct stages of ovarian development can be defined. The final stage, a ripe ovary is pale black and clearly visible through the carapace, and it can be a reliable guide for judging of stage of maturation. There is evidence that development of the ovary is induced by copulation. The arrangement of developing oocytes in a rouleau formation is unique for this species among shrimp. Key words: Ovary development, Histology, Deep-water shrimp, Aristaeomorpha foliacea, Taiwan. The aristeid shrimp Aristaeomorpha foliacea (Risso, 1826) is a cosmopolitan species. Although it inhabits deep waters, its large size often attracts commercial fishery interests, and regular fisheries of this species have been developed in the Mediterra-nean (Holthuis 1980, Bianchini and Ragonese 1994). In Taiwan, A. foliacea is caught by coastal commer