Sex Ratio, Fecundity and Morphometry of the Eggs of Freshwater Prawn Macrobrachium Americanum (Bate, 1868) in the Petatlán River, Sinaloa, Mexico

Abstract Macrobrachium americanum has a high commercial value with good fishing and cultivation possibilities in Mexico. Currently there is little information on reproductive aspects so the present work analyzed the sex ratio, fecundity and morphometry of the eggs of M. americanum in the Petatlán River, Sinaloa, Mexico. A total of 31 ovigerous females were captured. The sex ratio was 0.39 F: 1 M. The partial fecundity (Pf) varied from 34, 554 to 342, 372 eggs (128, 246 ± 12, 306 eggs, average Pf). The relationships between body and length-fecundity (R2= 0.5546), cephalothorax and length-fecundity (R2= 0.4995) were adjusted to a linear model, and the total weight-fecundity to a potential model (R2= 0.5013). The average relative fecundity was 37, 132 ± 5, 162 eggs/g. A total of 7 stages of embryonic development were observed. In the first stages, the egg presents a spherical form and in the latter an ovoid shape. Maximum egg diameter values are presented in stages VII, VI and VIII. Stage II provided the largest number of eggs (1, 013, 073 eggs). It is essential to optimize the exploitation of the population of M. americanum present in the Petatlán River through the creation of scientific bases for the sustainability of the fishery.