Effects of adaptation to laboratory conditions on growth, molting, and food consumption of juvenile Farfantepenaeus duorarum (Decapoda: Penaeidae)

Abstract

Growth patterns and biochemical analy!'>is al laboratory condilions (temperatUre 28°c' saJinily 22) were analyzed in juveniles wiJd pink shrimp, Farjr/!/tepenaeus duorarum (Burkenroad, 1939), eaught in tlle Gulf of Mexica compared with cultivated (F2) organisms. Shrimp were maintained for 55 days to monitor lhe molt frequency and weight gain over lime. We detennined the frequency of molting and wel ~'ejght gain per day over the experiment lime. Wild shrimp had an average molting frequency of 10 ± 2.03 days with an increase in wet weight af 0.024 ± 0.00 I g day- J; whereas cullivated shrinlp had an average frequency of 11 ± 2.15 days and a growth rate of 0.084 ± 0.002 g day-l. Osmolic capacity was delermined in wild shrimp al 154.85 ± 7.3.47 mOsm kg- 1 and for eultivated al 128.67 ± 42.24 mOsm kg- l . Total protein concentration wus 35.15 mg mI- 1 for wild shrimp, while values for culrinted shrimp werc significanlly differen at 112.22 mg nll- l (ANOVA; p < 0.05). Also, an eperiment was conducted to determine the amounl affood consumed befare and after ecdysis in wild and eultivated shrimp. No significan! differences were faund in the food consumption (F = 0.220, P = 0.641) between groups befare and after ecdysis. We detennined fhat foad consumption ntle fel! by 30% during moll and that fceding did not cease when ecdysis oceurs.