Native and non-native species of Litopenaeus Pérez-Farfante, 1969 (Crustacea: Penaeidae) from the East Atlantic: Geometric morphometrics as a tool for taxonomic discrimination

The shape of the secondary sexual characters is, traditionally, used to discriminate marine shrimps at species level. However, qualitative evaluation structures that are morphologically variable in taxonomy can favor misunderstandings and misidentifications. These possibilities taxonomic inaccuracies especially alarming when there is a need evaluate invasion introduced species. present study geometric morphometric analyses identify differences cephalothorax would help native non-native Litopenaeus South American coast. comparative morphology analysis was conducted using right profile adult males’ L. schmitti, captured natural environment, vannamei environment or grown shrimp farms. In intraspecific evaluation, it not possible distinguish specimens were farms from those acclimated environment. significant interspecific found this body structure. Additionally, base position first rostral spine tip hepatic indicated as characteristic be these two by eye field.