Social control of growth in Macrobrachium rosenbergii: I. The effect of claw ablation on survival and growth of communally raised prawns

Abstract

The effect of claw ablation on the growth and survival of juvenile Macrobrachium rosenbergii was tested; two sets of controls were used consisting of a group of intact prawns, and an additional group whose first pair of walking legs had been ablated so as to serve as controls for injury and regeneration. Survival among claw-ablated prawns was twice as high as that for the two control groups. Intact prawns weighed more than those with ablated appendages. During the experiment the coefficient of variation of mean weight decreased in the claw-ablated group. It increased in the intact prawns and was relatively stable in the group with ablated first pair of walking legs. The biomass of the claw-ablated group doubled within the test period while that of the controls was stable because the gain in mean weight and the mortalities counterbalanced each other.