Estuarine Cage Culture of Pink ShrimpFarfantepenaeus brasiliensisat Different Stocking Densities

Abstract

The culture of the indigenous pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis was investigated in the Patos Lagoon estuary in southern Brazil. The study analyzed the effects of stocking density on growth performance and survival off. brasiliensis in estuarine cage culture. Juvenile F. brasiliensis (mean weight, 1.15 g) were stocked at densities of 10 shrimp/m2, 20 shrimp/m2, and 40 shrimp/m2 in 4-m2 PVC-coated polyester cages; a commercial shrimp diet was offered daily via feeding trays. Approximately every 15 days, shrimp were sampled and weighed to estimate growth performance. At the end of the experiment (65 days), all shrimp were weighed and counted to determine the final biomass and survival rate, respectively. Survival rates did not differ significantly (P < 0.05) among treatments (91.7%-95.3%), whereas mean final weight was greater (P < 0.05) in the stocking density of 10 shrimp/m2 (7.93 ± 0.06 g). However, the best results of biomass production were recorded in the treatments with 20 shrimp/m2 and 40 shrimp/m2, reaching 127.81 ± 17.93 and 209.01 ± 23.46 g/m2, respectively. Results from the current study suggest the biological and technical viability of F. brasiliensis cage culture in the Patos Lagoon estuary.