Size variations of the amphipod crustacean Melita palmata in two Adriatic lagoons: Goro and Lesina

Abstract

1 - Body length of the peracarid crustacean Melita palmata (Montagu, 1804) was measured in two Adriatic lagoons, Goro and Lesina, in order to verify the relationships between body size and ecological conditions. 2 - The size class distribution was unequal in the two lagoons. Two distinct generations were observed at Goro, one including small or medium sized juveniles and the other medium or large sized adults; most of the Lesina specimens, instead, had medium-sized bodies and the population size dispersion was lower. 3 - Mean adult sizes were significantly different among stations and between lagoons. 4 - Larger sizes were observed in stations at higher salinity, under direct seawater influence, whereas adult individuals of smaller size were present in more confined stations.