Mineral Concentrations in Muscle and Hepatopancreas of Newly Caught Wild and Hatchery-Exhausted Spawners of Pacific White Shrimp, Penaeus vannamei

Abstract

ABSTRACT Inorganic elements, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn), were quantified at the end of a commercial hatchery cycle in muscle and hepatopancreas of adult male and female white shrimp, Penaeus vannamei, newly caught from the wild. The duration of the hatchery cycle is about 100-120 days, during which unilaterally eyestalk-ablated females and intact males had continual reproduction. Calcium in muscle and Mg in muscle and hepa-topancreas were lower in males and females at the end of the hatchery cycle, compared to those in newly caught wild animals. The trace elements (Zn, Cu, Fe, and Mn) in muscle were higher in animals from the hatchery than in newly caught animals. When compared to newly caught organisms, females at the end of the hatchery cycle had lower hepatopan-creas levels of Zn and Cu, an effect not observed for males. In the hepatopancreas of hatchery organisms (males and females), Fe was decreased and Mn increased compared to values in animals from the wild. The present results showed that changes in shrimp-tissue mineral composition occur during the hatchery cycle, at the end of which reproductive exhaustion is attained. Some of these changes may reflect metabolic adjustments to intense reproduction or transfer of some elements to gonads accompanied by hepatopancreas depletion.