rr Survey of the Invertebrates Species Present

Abstract: Nursery areas for brown and white shrimp were located in the mouth of the Aransas River and in Mission Bay. White shrimp were most abundant in July, while brown shrimp were most abundant in April, June and November. The blue crab showed three peaks in size: 10-50 millimeters, 70-150 millimeters, and 180-260 millimeters. Other invertebrates were collected and an annotated check list is presented. Objectives: The object of this survey is to determine the invertebrate species present, the seasonal and relative abundance of important forms, and the nursery areas of these species. Procedure: Sampling of invertebrates was conducted at 12 stations (Figure 1) with push net and 10-foot otter trawl of 1 l/2-inch stretch mesh, with special emphasis on shrimp nursery ground locations (Figure 2). Specimens were collected, identified, and measured in the field whe