Fecundity and potential juvenile production for aquaculture of the New Zealand Scampi, Metanephrops challengeri (Balss, 1914) (Decapoda: Nephropidae)

Abstract

The New Zealand scampi (Metanephrops challengeri) is a valuable commercial seafood species which is trawled from deep waters around New Zealand. This study was initiated to determine if adults could be held in captivity and larvae raised to post-larvae for future potential aquaculture production. To this end aspects of the fecundity, holding of broodstock and larval biology and rearing was investigated for the first time in this species. Broodstock were successfully collected from over 300 m depth and the facilities developed to hold them for extended periods. The females collected had clutches containing a mean of 337 ± 130 (n = 314) large eggs. Eggs of all developmental stages, still on the captured females, were successfully reared and hatched. Good quality larvae took a mean of 8.3 ± 1.01 days to progress through the three larval stages to post-larvae. The rearing methods are discussed. Although the life cycle has not been completely closed, the abbreviated larval duration and subsequent relative ease of larviculture indicates that this species could be suitable for aquaculture development.