Abstract:Based on the data from three oceanographic surveys in onshore waters of the Central Taiwan Strait during autumn 2009, spring and summer 2010, shrimp density, horizontal distribution, and dominant species were studied, along with hydrological features. The biomass of shrimp was greatest in autumn (135.45 kg/km2), followed by spring (96.77 kg/km2), and then summer (88.02 kg/km2). By contrast, density was greatest in summer (34.55×103 ind/km2) and autumn (33.65×103 ind/km2), and least in spring (18.95×103 ind/km2). The dominant species, left their winter grounds in early May and migrated to offshore waters. The higher biomass when abundance was low was a result of greater individual weight. In summer, shrimp were mainly smaller individuals that grew rapidly, resulting in an escalating abundance and declining biomass. After feeding, individuals increased in biomass and the peak in abundance primarily consisted of (IRI values of 6 733.05 and 10 552.82) and (IRI values of 10 536.11 and 5 981.94) were the dominant species in spring and autumn. In summer, (IRI=4 236.10) and β value, the main dominant species in autumn, contributed 1.11 and 0.84 to total biomass and individual density, respectively, and contributed 0.74 and 0.78 in autumn. The seasonal change of shrimp density was correlated with the dominant species, which also had the same horizontal distribution. The shrimp in this area were composed mainly of eurythermal and euryhaline species which were not affected by environmental changes. The shrimp fishery in the central Taiwan Strait has development potential because of the economically valuable species Solenocera melantho