Tissue biochemical composition in relation to multiple spawning in wild and pond-reared Penaeus vannamei broodstock

Abstract

The effect of the number of spawnings on several biochemical components of ovary, hepatopancreas, and haemolymph was investigated. Shrimps of two origins were compared; wild-caught and pond-reared spawners. Individually tagged females were sampled at the end of a production period in a commercial hatchery. Females with multiple spawnings had a higher gonadosomatic index (GSI), increased levels of protein in the ovary, and increased levels of acylglycerides (AG) and total protein in the hepatopancreas. Wild shrimps had a higher fecundity and higher levels of AG in hepatopancreas, and AG, cholesterol, protein, and glucose in haemolymph. Pond-reared shrimps had a higher hepatosomatic index than wild counterparts. The biochemical composition of the ovary reflected the typical nutrient accumulation associated with maturation. The capacity for multiple spawning could be related to metabolism of energetic lipids that are accumulated in the hepatopancreas, which in turn depends on size and origin of the broodstock. Females with multiple spawning capacity may be adequate for production purposes, although more research is needed to address the possibility of specific metabolic indicators of a multiple spawning capacity without a decline in spawn quality, and to define whether this is an inherited characteristic that can be selected in an improvement program.