The effect of stocking density on the transport of pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis (Crustacea: Decapoda), as live bait for sport fishing in Brazil

Abstract

The capture of juvenile shrimp as live bait for sport fishing has intensified, as has the trade of shrimp in different locations. The transport of shrimp to regions, other than those in which they are captured, is often poorly performed due to the lack of information regarding effective transport, resulting in high mortality of the transported animals. The aim of this study was to determine the optimum stocking density for the transport of juvenile Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis (weight: 5.53 ± 1.20 g) and to evaluate the effect of the addition of hydrated lime in the transport water. Four stocking densities were tested for transport (1, 2, 3 and 4 ind L -1 ). Following the analysis of the results obtained in the density experiment, the addition of hydrated lime (0.15 g L -1 ) in the transport water was also tested. Water quality and the final survival were negatively correlated with increasing stocking density. The results of this study demonstrated that the highest density that can be used to avoid mortality is 3 ind L -1 for a maximum period of 10 h. The use of hydrated lime in the