RUNT-DEFORMITY SYNDROME IN CULTURED GIANT TIGER PRAWN PENAEUS MONODON

Abstract

Abstract A total of 24 morphological abnormalities associated with the Runt-Deformity Syndrome (RDS) is reported for the first time in 17- to 18-mo old F3 generation Penaeus monodon (>40 mm CL) belonging to three breeding families. Although diagnosed as positive for the infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV), the shrimp appeared normal at 9 to 10 mo when they were procured from a commercial facility in Antique, central Philippines, in September 1996. The abnormalities affected either specific shrimp organs and appendages (e.g., rostrum, antennae, uropods) or the whole body (e.g., shell color and hardness). A two-way analysis of variance was used to evaluate differences in the morphometric characters rostral length (RL), carapace length (CL), abdominal length (AL), body length (BL), total length (TL), carapace width (CW), 1st abdominal segment width (AS1W), and body weight (BW) and the morphometric ratios RL:CL, CL:AL, and CW:AS1W by sex and stock (3 families and wild controls). Fem...