Is it possible to raise, offspring of the 25th generation of Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone) and 18th generation Litopenaeus stylirostris (Stimpson) in clear water to 40 g?

Abstract

Peneid shrimp are commonly reared in clear-water aquaria or tanks for short-term studies of 46 weeks during controlled experiments, such as nutrition studies to estimate dietary nutrient requirements. Recently, in line with the genetic program at Centre Oceanologique du Pacifique (COP), experimental clear-water facilities were tested for the first time over a longer rearing period. Environmental conditions used to maintain animal growth in clear-water system using a well-balanced diet were defined. After 100 days, shrimp growth rates tended to decrease and only by adjusting the diet could shrimp complete their life cycle and reach maturation size of around 40 g. This paper presents information on stocking density, diet quality and husbandry linked to reproduction that must be considered to successfully rear animals from PL's to breeder size in clear water. By following these protocols a minimum amount of breeders can be used to meet production goals. Moreover, by isolating a small group of individuals, genetic diversity can be preserved, thereby allowing specific crosses for selective breeding purposes. Length of trials, amount of feed, composition of feed, growth performances and maturation success are reported and should encourage further studies to optimize rearing conditions in clear-water rearing.