With the decline in fish resources worldwide, the ecological dominance and economic importance of crustaceans have obviously increased. Among crustacean species, mantis shrimps are increasingly dominant in many coastal waters of the world. In China, Oratosquilla oratoria is the most widely distributed and productive species of mantis shrimp, and its relative resource density is the highest in the Bohai Sea. In this study, we analysed the long-term and monthly population characteristics of O. oratoria in the Bohai Sea, including its relative resource density, body size and spatial distribution. The results showed that the relative resource density of O. oratoria in the Bohai Sea increased from 3.59 kg/h in 1982 to 14.48 kg/h in 2018, and the percentage of this species that serves as a fishery resource increased from 4.22% in 1982 to 35.27% in 2018, based on the mean relative resource density in May and August. The relative resource density of O. oratoria in the fishing moratorium season from May to August was significantly higher than that in the other months of fishing season, and the relative resource density decreased rapidly after the fishing moratorium ended. The relative resource density of O. oratoria was the highest in summer (August), followed by in autumn (October) and spring (May), and it was the lowest in winter (January). The relative resource density of O. oratoria in the western Bohai Sea was higher than that in the eastern Bohai Sea. The mean body weight of O. oratoria in the Bohai Sea decreased from 21.95 g in 1982 to 14.34 g in 2018, based on the mean body weight in May and August. The body size of O. oratoria in the fishing moratorium season was significantly higher than that in the fishing season, and the body size decreased rapidly after the fishing moratorium ended. Overall, in the context of declining resources of most fishery species, the relative resource density of O. oratoria increased due to its hardiness and adaptability, and its body size decreased under intensive fishing over the past 30 years. The fishing moratorium system had a great influence on the population dynamics of O. oratoria in terms of the relative resource density and body size in the Bohai Sea.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |