First description of heavy skeletal deformations in Palaemon shrimp populations of European estuaries: the case of the Gironde (France)

This study aims at analyzing morphological deformities in Palaemon population in the Gironde estuary. The most frequent abnormalities affected cephalothorax and rostrum, and to a lesser extent scaphocerites and uropods (with spectacular dissymmetry), whilst only few cases of antenna and telson deformities were observed. References on morphological abnormalities of crustaceans can be found in the literature, but dealing with only isolated individuals and not for Palaemonids species, whilst in the Gironde estuary up to 40\% of adult individuals are affected. Deformities likely depend on water pollutants, among others heavy metals and PCBs. This hypothesis should be tested considering other European estuaries with similar features.