Morphometric relationship of weight and length of cultured Farfantepenaeus paulensis during nursery, grow out, and broodstock production phases

Abstract

Morphometric relationships of length–length (carapace and total body length) and length–weight (wet body weight) were analyzed during nursery, grow out, and broodstock production phases of Farfantepenaeus paulensis ranging in size from 0.06 to 60 g ( n=2969). Morphometric data during the broodstock production phase were pooled for males and females, as no significant differences in regression lines between sexes were observed. Shrimp from the broodstock production phase tended to have longer and heavier bodies compared with grow out individuals with the same carapace length. Increments on body weight (BW) were proportional to total length (TL) rather than carapace length for nursery, grow out, and broodstock. Conversion equations relating the measures of length and weight are provided for each culture phase. The use of a general morphometric relationship between total length and body weight (BW=0.07×10 −3 (TL) 3.058) is recommended to simplify the management in different culture phases of F. paulensis in southern Brazil.