Resumen

PEREZ E, Eduardo P  y  DEFEO, Omar. Time-space variation in the catchability coefficient as a function of catch per unit of effort in heterocarpus reedi (decapoda, pandalidae) in north-central chile. INCI [online]. 2003, vol.28, n.3, pp.178-182. ISSN 0378-1844.

The catchability coefficient (q) is a key parameter in the validation process of a fishing simulation model. This parameter is generally assumed to be constant. However, in many cases this constancy is violated, especially in living marine resources with aggregated spatial distribution. The object of this study was to determine potential variations of q as a function of the catch per unit of effort (CPUE) of the shrimp Heterocarpus reedi in North-Central Chile. The variability of q was calculated weekly for three fishing seasons and two fishing zones, using the swept area method. The functional relationship between CPUE, in ton·km-2, and q was better explained by potential models. The analysis showed high variation in q between weeks in the same fishing season, an inverse relationship between CPUE and q, and an increase in the proportion of variance explained by the model as CPUE decreased.

Palabras clave : Catchability; CPUE; Crustaceans; Heterocarpus reedi; Swept Area Method.