Observations on decapod crustaceans from trawlable bottoms in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea (western Mediterranean)

We present preliminary data for the decapod fauna on trawlable bottoms of the southern Tyrrhenian Sea (western Mediterranean). The data come from four trawl surveys carried out, from 10 to 800 m of depth, in the ambit of the programme MEDITS, funded by EU. The bathymetrical distribution of each decapod and the abundance values of species that have a considerable commmercial value are reported. Moreover, the results concerning distribution and biology of Aristeus antennatus, Aristaeomorpha forliacea, Parapenaeus longirostris, and Nephrops norvegicus are presented. The spatiotemporal distribution of these species inside the area studied did not change during the four years of observation. On the contrary, the yields showed significant differences.