Objective In order to explore the growth characteristics of Exopalaemon carinicauda under different salinity conditions, the growth patterns and relationship between body length and body weight were compared to provide references for the healthy breeding of E. carinicauda.

Method The growth parameters of E. carinicauda under lowsalinity (5.0 ‰ ±1.0 ‰) and high-salinity (22.0 ‰ ±1.0 ‰) conditions were analyzed, including body length and body weight.

Result (1) The growth trends of E. carinicauda populations from Fengxian and Ninghai were rather similar, which grew faster under low-salinity model. The average daily increments of body length and body weight of Fengxian population were 0.0203 cm and 0.0194 g under high-salinity model, while those were 0.0252 cm and 0.0265 g under lowsalinity model; the average daily increments of body weight of Ninghai population under high-salinity model and low-salinity model were 0.0183 g and 0.0254 g, which were slower than those of Fengxian population; (2) The relationship between body length and body weight of E. carinicauda populations from Fengxian and Ninghai was correlated as the power function, and their regression equations were: Fengxian population under high-salinity model: W=0.024L^2.731 (R²=0.971), Fengxian population under low-salinity model: W=0.023L^2.765 (R²=0.992), Ninghai population under high-salinity model: W=0.022L^2.807 (R²=0.993), Ninghai population under low-salinity model: W=0.028L^2.643 (R²=0.990). All of their b values were less than 3, which showed allometric growth patterns; (3) There were linear relationships between body length and breeding time in Fengxian and Ninghai populations under two salinity models, while power function relationships between body weight and breeding time under low-salinity model, in which the index function of Fengxian population was: Y=0.500e^0.014t (R²=0.971), and that of Ninghai population was: Y=0.017t^1.0148 (R²=0.977); (4) The trends of fullness of E. carinicauda populations were similar, which were highest at the beginning of the experiment and then gradually decreased to the lowest in the 150 day-age.

Conclusion In general, the experimental populations under low-salinity breeding environment grow significantly faster than they do under high-salinity breeding environment, and low-salinity model is more conducive to their growth and reproduction.