An overlooked diurnal low tide nursery habitat of a commercially significant penaeid prawn (Penaeus plebejus)

Annabel Kuskie; Benjamin Mos; Ben L. Gilby; Craig A. Chargulaf; Vicki Bennion; Ian R. Tibbetts

doi:10.1071/MF25270

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An overlooked diurnal low tide nursery habitat of a commercially significant penaeid prawn (Penaeus plebejus)

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An overlooked diurnal low tide nursery habitat of a commercially significant penaeid prawn (Penaeus plebejus)

Annabel Kuskie, Benjamin Mos, Ben L. Gilby, Craig A. Chargulaf, Vicki Bennion and Ian R. Tibbetts

Marine & Freshwater Research, Vol.77(11), pp.1-10

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/MF25270

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Abstract

bioturbation

coastal management

commercial shrimp

estuarine ecology

intertidal

penaeid lifecycle

seagrass

soft sediment

Context Diurnal observations of the juveniles of commercially important penaeid prawns occupying tide pools created by stingrays in Quandamooka (Moreton Bay) have not previously been reported. Aims We investigated whether these pools represent a hitherto undescribed prawn nursery habitat. Methods Winter abundance, size and diversity of penaeid prawns in stingray pools at six sites around the Bay were surveyed using manual collection ‘bulldozing’. In early spring, at Adam’s Beach, natant crustaceans were surveyed from pools using bulldozing and push netting from adjacent seagrass beds. Key results Penaeus plebejus (eastern king prawn) was common on bare soft sediment habitats with a mean density of 4.22 (±0.29 s.e.) individuals per pool, and 91.1% likelihood of at least one prawn being found in any given stingray pool. Prawns inhabited these pools during their early life stages and were significantly smaller than those in adjacent seagrass beds. Conclusions Stingray pools are an important diurnal low-tide nursery habitat for juvenile P. plebejus, which is likely to be due to protection from predators, camouflage in sand substrate and thermal growth advantages. Implications The use of ephemeral pools as nursery habitats by penaeids may be a widespread phenomenon, suggesting that bare intertidal zones that support stingray pools should be highly valued and managed for their contribution to commercial fisheries.

Details

Title: An overlooked diurnal low tide nursery habitat of a commercially significant penaeid prawn (Penaeus plebejus)
Authors: Annabel Kuskie - The University of Queensland
Benjamin Mos - The University of Queensland
Ben L. Gilby - University of the Sunshine Coast
Craig A. Chargulaf - GHD Pty Ltd (Australia)
Vicki Bennion - The University of Queensland
Ian R. Tibbetts (Corresponding Author) - The University of Queensland
Publication details: Marine & Freshwater Research, Vol.77(11), pp.1-10
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.1071/MF25270
ISSN: 1448-6059
Copyright note: © 2026 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)
Data Availability: The data that support this study will be made available upon a reasonable request to the corresponding author.
Grant note: This research was kindly supported by a Goodman Family Foundation student grant and a Sibelco Australia Pty Ltd Moreton Bay Research Station Scholarship to A. Kuskie.
Organisation Unit: School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991246275502621
Output Type: Journal article

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