Identifying Seasonal Spatial Distribution Patterns of Scarcely Recorded Shrimp Species Solenocera alticarinata Kubo, 1949 in the East China Sea: Fisheries Conservation and Management Strategy

Comprehensive biological and ecological data are essential for the appropriate stock management of Solenocera alticarinata Kubo, 1949. The lack of ecological knowledge on S. alticarinata, a species of potential economic value in the East China Sea, limits the development and implementation of appropriate fishery management measures such as minimum landing size and seasonal closure. Accordingly, we employed research vessels to characterize the seasonal spatial distribution patterns of S. alticarinata within the study area (26.5–35° N, 120–127° E) in 2018–2019. Our findings indicate that S. alticarinata can survive at a depth of 50–120 m and sea bottom salinity of 33–35. The highest biomass-based CPUE and greatest abundance of S. alticarinata were found during the summer and autumn, respectively. The seasonal ranking of the total catch per unit effort in number was as follows: autumn (1438.7 ind·h−1) > summer and winter (1012.1–1078.2 ind·h−1) > spring (287 ind·h−1). In terms of mean average individual size, the order was summer > spring > autumn and winter. Overall, our findings provide a basis for developing management policies, and offer insights for designing fishery management and conservation strategies.