Geographical and bathymetrical distribution of red shrimps in Sardinian waters related to environmental conditions

Red shrimps Aristaeomorpha foliacea and Aristeus antennatus are one of the most important and exploited resource in the western Mediterranean. The aim of this work is to evaluate the geographical and bathymetrical distribution of the two species in Sardinian seas and to identify a possible relationship with environmental conditions. We calculated the ratio between the two species and we compared ratio values with hydrological data (temperature and salinity) to establish how water masses properties influence species distribution. Our results indicate that A. antennatus prefers colder and less salty waters while A. foliacea prefers both higher temperature and salinity.