| Pandalus | |
|---|---|
| Pandalus borealis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Crustacea |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Infraorder: | Caridea |
| Family: | Pandalidae |
| Genus: | Pandalus Leach, 1814 [1] |
| Type species | |
| Pandalus montagui [2] Leach, 1814 |
|
Pandalus is a genus of shrimps in the family Pandalidae. Members of the genus are medium sized and live on or near the seabed. Some species are the subject of commercial fisheries and are caught by trawling. One species, Pandalus montagui, lives in association with the reef-building polychaete worm, Sabellaria spinulosa.[3]
The life span is typically 3–5 years with sexual maturity being reached at an early age. Members of this genus are protandric hermaphrodites, starting life as males and later becoming females.[2] Reproduction takes place in the spring when up to 3,000 eggs are produced and fertilised internally. The female carries them around under the abdomen for about 6 days before they develop into planktotrophic larvae. These remain in the plankton for 4–6 months. During this time they drift with the currents and have a dispersal potential of at least 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) The shrimps have a rapid growth rate and this means that populations can build up quite rapidly after disturbance or habitat destruction.[3]
The following extant species are accepted by the World Register of Marine Species:[1]
One additional species is known from the fossil record.[4]
The following species are caught commercially:[5][6]