• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.217-227
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate the initial growth, burrowing depth, and relative growth of mud shrimps (Upogebia major and Austinogebia wuhsienweni), living in damaged high density tidal flat shellfish farms form 2008 in the Western coast of Korea. By August, young mud shrimps (Upogebia major), which had settled down on the tidal flats in early May, grew to more than 10 mm in carapace length (CL). At the end of the first year, their CL and total length (TL) increased to 14.21 mm and 42.28 mm, respectively. The inhabiting depth of the young mud shrimps (Upogebia major) increased rapidly up to about 6 months after stocking (5 cm in July, 12.5 cm in September, and 28 cm in November, respectively). The inhabiting depth of adult mud shrimps in their burrows was about 10-93 cm during the year. As results, the analysis of the relative growth between the carapace length (CL) - the total length (TL) and the CL - total wet weight (TWW), the total wet weight of mud shrimps at Boryeong Saho (inner part of the Cheonsu-bay) was estimated to be 1.2-4 g heavier than those of Boryeong Jugyo (Outer part of the Cheonsu-bay) tidal flat. The young mud shrimps primarily grew from April to October. It is therefore crucial to observe whether the settlement of young mud shrimps on tidal shellfish farms from May to June to minimize the damage of shellfish farms by newly stocked young mud shrimps. In addition, it is recommended that young mud shrimps grown in fisheries be harvested before they dig deep into the sediment until early December.