Spawning Frequency Analysis of Wild and Pond-Reared Pacific White Shrimp Penaeus vannamei Broodstock under Large-Scale Hatchery Conditions

Second generation Penaeus vannamei broodstack, pond-reared and wild populations, were compared for spawning frequency and several variables associated with reproductive performance. For this purpose, 470 pond-reared and 237 wild-caught individually tagged females were stocked with males of the same origin in ten maturation tanks in a commercial hatchery, and several productivity variables were recorded over time. Results of the analysis indicate that wild shrimp had higher mating and spawning frequencies compared to pond-reared broodstock. The number of nauplii per spawn was higher for wild shrimp, but fertilization and hatching rates were higher for pond-reared spawners. A larger proportion of nonmating females were found in pond-reared shrimp; whereas, wild females had a higher potential for multiple matings. The spawn quality (fertilization and hatching rates, percentage of viable spawns, and number of nauplii) in consecutive matings did not decline substantially. The present study indicates that selection of females with multiple spawning capabilities can be an important commercial strategy to improve nauplii production over the short term. Pond-reared broodstock can be an adequate source for applying this strategy because of their year-round availability and an overall acceptable reproductive performance.     

Reproductive Performance of Different Sized Wild and Pond-reared Penaeus paulensis Females

The present study analyzes the reproductive performance of three size classes of wild (average weight of 46.5, 55.0, and 63.2 g) and three size classes of pond-reared (18.4, 21.3, and 25.1 g) Penaeus paulensis females. Unilaterally eyestalk ablated females were placed for 70 d in 3.6 m diameter tanks at 6 individuals/m² and a 1.2:1 female-male ratio. Number of spawns, eggs, nauplii, fertilization and hatching rates were recorded every second day. The length of unfed protozoea I larvae was also recorded. Larger broodstock shrimp tended to suffer higher mortality rates. Smaller, pond-reared females started spawning at 28.2 ± 4.1 g. The number of eggs and nauplii per spawning event were not significantly different between experimental groups (P > 0.05), but due to their higher spawning frequency, small wild females (46.5 ± 3.7 g) outperformed medium (55.0 ± 1.8 g) and large ones (63.2 ± 7.0 g). No relationship between protozoea length and spawner size was found. Optimum size for the maturation of wild P. paulensis females was estimated to be from 30 to 60 g. It is suggested that the use of this size range can potentially enhance nauplii production of P. paulensis .     

Maturation and Spawning of the White Shrimp Penaeus schmitti Burkenroad, 1936, Under Large Scale Rearing Conditions

This paper describes the reproductive performance of Penueus schmitti kept under controlled conditions in a maturation facility of a commercial shrimp farm. A total of 369 females and 368 males of wild P. schmitti were used to form 9 broodstock groups. Unilateral ablation was performed on females only. Although females were not tagged, the total number of mated females ( N = 533) indicates that rematuration of the ovaries did occur. Only 9 mated females (1.69%) did not spawn and only 22 mated females (4.20%) of the remaining 524 cases did not produce viable spawns. These results indicate that a large number of viable spawns (94.18%) can be expected from P. schmitti . A minimum latency period of 6 days for the ovaries to attain full development was observed twice. The highest mating frequency occurred between the 46th and 60th days after unilateral ablation, but mating frequency remained above 2% until the 90th day. The average number of nauplii/female/spawn was 78,961 ( N = 524) and the average fertilization rate of the eggs was 73.12% ( N = 297). Usually when the pair of the spermatophores is dislodged from the thelycum of the mated female, a small sperm mass still remains between the third pair of walking legs. This condition did not show any negative effect on the fertilization rate of the eggs and nauplii production. Mating behavior displayed by P. schmitti is also described and includes three distinctive phases: a) chasing, b) mating and c) post-mating chase.     

Variation in Reproductive Performance and Egg Quality Between Wild and Pond-Reared Indian White Shrimp,Fenneropenaeus indicus,Broodstock

ABSTRACT

The shrimp hatchery industry worldwide has placed immense interest on the production of closed-life cycle broodstock from farm stock. Unfortunately, majority of the studies have proven that pond-reared broodstock are inferior to their wild counterparts in terms of reproductive performance, spawn quality and post-hatching performance. In the present study, reproductive performance, egg, and nauplii quality of wild and pond-reared Indian white shrimp, Fenneropenaeus indicus, broodstock were analyzed. Biochemical analyses were done with egg and nauplii from both the sources, in an attempt to explain the difference in their performance. Results indicated better reproductive performance by wild females compared to pond-reared ones. The wild eggs contained higher total lipid, and vital HUFAs namely EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid), DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) and ARA (Arachidonic acid). However, one of the dominant PUFA, 18:2 (n-6) was high in pond broodstock eggs. Biochemical analysis also indicated that glucose, carotenoids, and triacylglycerol content were significantly higher (P < 0.001) in wild eggs. But, egg protein and triacylglycerol content did not record significant difference between the egg samples. The percentage viable nauplii, nauplii length and triacylglycerol content were all significantly higher (P < 0.05) with wild nauplii. This study proves the better nutritional profile of wild eggs and nauplii in terms of analyzed biochemical components. But, as our knowledge on specific nutrient requirement for successful reproductive performance and offspring quality is limited, the better performance of wild eggs could not be attributed to any single nutrient. Meanwhile, it could be presumed that all the deficient nutrients collectively contributed to the poor reproductive performance and spawn quality.     

Larval quality in relation to consecutive spawnings in white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei Boone

In this study, we determined the influence of the time broodstock spend in reproduction, and the effect of consecutive spawnings (spawning order) on larval quality of Litopenaeus vannamei. Spawns were sampled at days 1–4, 18–20 and 38–40 after unilateral eyestalk ablation and ordered according to the number of spawns or spawning order (1–11) of each female. Larvae were reared individually to 2‐day‐old postlarvae (PL2); spawn and larval quality was determined in terms of fecundity, fertilization, hatching, morphometric traits, ammonium stress resistance applied at zoea, salinity stress resistance applied at postlarval stages, and survival during culture. Fecundity was not affected by consecutive spawns, whereas it increased with time spent in production. Nauplii length and survival to zoea and mysis stages decreased with time spent in production, whereas no consistent influence of consecutive spawning was observed. Survival to PL2, and to the ammonia and salinity stress tests did not decrease with increasing time in production or spawning order. This study separated the specific influence of time spent in production (which negatively affects larval quality) and consecutive spawns (which had no effect or had an inconsistent effect), and reinforced previous suggestions that selection of females with multiple spawn capacity would be desirable for production purposes.     

Nauplii Production from Wild,Cultivated, and Mixed Populations of Blue Shrimp,Penaeus stylirostris

ABSTRACT

Due to the low nauplii production of cultivated broodstock, and to reduce the dependence on the wild stock, an experiment was carried out with 400 adult blue shrimp, Penaeus stylirostris, from wild and cultivated (F6) populations. Four treatments, each in duplicate, were applied: (1) wild females and males (W-W); (2) wild females and cultivated males (W-C); (3) cultivated females and wild males (C-W); and (4) cultivated females and males (C-C). More than 300 individual spawns were monitored to evaluate the egg and nauplii production per female. Mixed model ANOVA for factorial arrangements (4 × 3 × 2³ and 3 × 2³) were conducted. The factors considered besides the treatments were: rematuration (number of successive spawnings for a female), ovarian maturity, integrity of the spermatophore attached (complete spermatophore, “wings,” or “remnant”) and condition of spawning (partial or complete). The introduction of both wild females and males was a successful measure to improve the overall egg and nauplii production. Both mixed populations outperformed the cultivated broodstock, but were inferior to the wild stock (average production of eggs and nauplii: W-W-l 12,713 and 34,682, respectively; W-C-l 13,215 and 22,038, respectively; C-W-82,702 and 11,715, respectively; C-C-66,948 and 7,653, respectively). Populations with wild females produce a larger number of eggs, and wild males contribute to higher hatching rates. Other observations indicate the need to select for spawning only those females showing an advanced degree of ovarian maturity, having a complete spermatophore attached to the thelycum, and spawning completely.     

Induced spawning and larval rearing of the white seabream, Mylio berda

The white seabream, Mylio berda, was induced to spawn spontaneously by hormone injections of synahorin or human chorionic gonadotropin for over 3 months between December and April in Hong Kong. Fertilized eggs were also obtained during the peak spawning period between February and March through natural spawning or artificial insemination. The hatched larvae were reared in 500-1 circular tanks and fed initially on rotifers, Brachionus sp., followed by brine shrimp nauplii or copepod nauplii and finally weaned onto fish meat. Larval rearing trials for growth and survival to 60 days produced larvae of average length, 26.2 mm, at survival rates ranging from 1.32 to 11.62%.     

Effects of Maternal Age on Fecundity,Spawning Interval,and Egg Quality of Nile tilapia,Oreochromis niloticus (L.)

Effects of maternal age on fecundity, spawning interval, and egg quality of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L.), was examined for four age groups (4, 9, 16, and 24 mo) in circular concrete tanks in a recirculating system. Fecundity (eggs per spawn), weight (g), and egg quality were monitored every 4 d for the 168‐d experimental period. Eggs per spawn correlated with maternal age, while it did not correlate with body weight. Eggs per spawn increased by twofold between 4‐ and 24‐mo‐old females, while eggs per female per d did not differ. Implying that eggs per female per d was influenced by spawn per female as well. Eggs per female per d was 1.8 and 2.4 times higher in 9‐mo‐old females than 16‐ and 24‐mo‐old females, respectively. Eggs per female per d showed a decline concurrent with per spawn per female trend after 18‐mo old. Four‐mo‐old females produced eggs that were more uniform in size and weight than others. While egg size (mm) and weight (mg), and their variations within eggs per spawn increased, percent fertilization and hatchability decreased with age of females. Biological optimum age range for reproducible production of good quality eggs was 6–18 mo. This could be adopted in selecting breeders for better seed production.     

Reproduction of Eyestalk-Ablated Penaeus stylirostris Fed Various Levels of Total Dietary Lipid

Effects of total dietary lipid (TDL) on reproduction of Penaeus srylirostris were compared using a series of diets ranging from 7.8% to 13.9% TDL. In addition, a commercial feed was compared to the experimental feeds, and a single fresh diet component (squid as 40% of diet) was compared to a multiple fresh component portion (squid, bloodworms, shrimp, and brine shrimp as 40% of diet). The control diet consisted of the four fresh components in equal proportions. Significant differences among diet treatments during 87 days of evaluation were observed for mean percent hatch, number of nauplii per spawn, and percent females mating per night. A new parameter, protozoea I length, was evaluated also and appeared to be a sensitive measure of treatment differences. In general, the all-fresh component diet (control) and diets with multiple fresh components performed better than those with a squid-only component. Among the three diets varying only in total lipid content, the middle level (11.1% TDL) treatment means were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than the highest lipid treatment (13.9% TDL) based on number of nauplii per spawn, percent females mating per night, and protozoea length. The middle level treatment means were also higher than the low lipid level tested (7.8% TDL) for these parameters, but only protozwa length was significantly higher (P < 0.01). In the best treatment (100% Fresh), there were 189,000 ± 10,300 eggs per spawn (mean ± SE), 103,000 ± 10,400 nauplii per spawn, 51.3 ± 4.3 percent hatch (N = 64), and 7.0 ± 0.7 percent females mating per night (N= 174). The High Lipid treatment, in which the poorest results were obtained, produced 164,000 ± 11,100 eggs per spawn, 39,000 ± 9,400 nauplii per spawn, 23.0 ± 4.8 percent hatch (N = 40) and 3.9 ± 0.5 percent females mating per night (N= 174). Results indicate that dietary lipid levels affect reproduction and that 10% to 11% total lipid produced better results than 7.8% and 13.9%.     

Reproductive development, GnRHa-induced spawning and egg quality of wild meagre (Argyrosomus regius) acclimatised to captivity

The objective of the study was to acclimatise wild-caught meagre (Argyrosomus regius) to captivity to produce viable eggs for aquaculture production. Twelve meagre (3 males and 9 females, mean weight?=?20?±?7?kg) were caught and transported to a land-based facility on 26 October 2006. During, March to June 2007, all three males were spermiating and five of the nine females were in vitellogenesis with mean maximum oocyte diameter ≥550?μm. No spontaneous spawning was observed. Two hormone treatments, either a single injection of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa, 20?μg?kg(-1) for females and 10?μg?kg(-1) for males) or a slow-release implant loaded with the same GnRHa (50?μg?kg(-1) for females and 25?μg?kg(-1) for males), were used to induce spawning on three different dates on 26 March 2007, 4 May 2007 and 18 April 2008. From each spawning event, the following parameters were determined: fecundity, number of floating eggs, egg size, fertilisation and hatching success, unfed larval survival, and proximal composition and fatty acid profile of the eggs. In 2007, two females that were injected on 26 March and 4 May spawned a total of 5 times producing 9,019,300 floating eggs and a relative fecundity of 198,200 eggs?kg(-1) and two different females that were implanted on the same dates spawned 14 times producing 12,430,000 floating eggs and a relative fecundity of 276,200 eggs?kg(-1). In 2008, a pair that was implanted spawned five times producing a total of 10,211,900 floating eggs and a relative fecundity of 527,380 eggs?kg(-1). The latency period was 48-72?h. Parameters were compared between hormone treatments, date of hormone induction and parents determined by microsatellites. Percentage hatch and egg size were 70?±?0.3% and 0.99?±?0.02?mm, respectively, for GnRHa-implanted fish and were significantly higher (P?相似文献   

Replacement of a Natural Diet by a Prepared Dry Feed for Successful Maturation and Spawning of Female Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone) Broodstock

A prepared dry feed containing bloodworm meal Glycera chirori Izuka and oyster meal Crassostrea rivularis Gould, together with a natural diet consisting of G. chirori and shelled C. rivularis (1:1 ratio) and a mixed diet consisting of the prepared dry feed and the natural diet in equal proportion were evaluated as broodstock diets for female Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei_- (Boone ). Results showed that shrimp fed the prepared dry feed gave higher maturation ratio and significantly higher hepatosomatic index (HSI) values (P < 0.05) than those fed the natural diet and the mixed diet. The prepared dry feed and the mixed diet induced higher total spawn numbers and significantly higher average daily spawns per female than the natural diet (P < 0.05), while the gonadosomatic index (GSI) values and fecundity (eggs per spawn) were not significantly affected by these diets. Results of this study showed that both the prepared dry feed and the mixed diet outperformed the natural diet to improve the spawning performance of female L. vannamei , and that using G. chirori meal and C. rivularis meal as the main ingredients of the prepared dry feed would be an effective way to promote the broodstock nutrition.     

Egg and larval quality of natural and induced spawns of red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus

Egg and larval quality of red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus from natural spawns of domesticated brooders and hormone-induced spawns of wild fish were compared. Eggs and larvae from natural spawns were found to be more viable in terms of fertilization, hatching and survival rate. Also, eggs from natural spawns were larger, and eggs and recently hatched larvae had larger oil-globule. These findings indicate that natural spawning of red snapper can be a sustainable and reliable source of good quality eggs.     

Biofloc technology in intensive broodstock farming of the pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus duorarum: spawning performance,biochemical composition and fatty acid profile of eggs

A 45‐day trial was performed to evaluate the effect of biofloc technology (BFT) with or without fresh food (FF) supplementation during pre‐maturation period on Farfantepenaeus duorarum spawning performance, biochemical composition and fatty acid profile of eggs as compared with conventional clear‐water system (CW+FF). Females raised in biofloc and that received FF supplementation (FLOC+FF) achieved better spawning performance in terms of number of eggs per spawn (49 × 10³), number of eggs per spawn per g of spawner's body weight (2.1 × 10³) and egg size (~275 μm) as compared with CW+FF (23 × 10³, 1.1 × 10³ and 263 μm respectively), but both treatments did not vary from FLOC (P > 0.05). High spawning activity was also observed in biofloc system as compared with clear‐water system as shown in number of spawns per ablated female (2.2–3.0 versus 0.6) and percentage of females that spawn at least once (80–82 versus 25%). Biochemical composition of eggs presented no significant differences among treatments. FA profile of eggs indicated that high spawning activity performed by females in FLOC+FF treatment was reflected in lower mean levels of EPA, DHA and sum of polyunsaturated fatty acids (n‐3) and (n‐6). The better reproductive performance demonstrated by females raised in biofloc justified the application of this technology in F. duorarum broodstock.     

MATURATION,REPRODUCTION, AND GROWTH OF Penaeus vannamei AND P. stylirostris FED NATURAL DIETS

A variety of natural foods have been reported to induce ovarian maturation of penaeid shrimp. In this study, conducted from 19 June to 11 September 1980, four single-food diets (clams, shrimp, squid, and worms) and one composite diet consisting of all four foods were fed to Penaeus vannamei in 3.7-m diameter indoor circular tanks. The shrimp, averaging 28 g, were stocked at a rate of 6.9 m^-2 with a 1:1 male to female ratio. Unilateral eyestalk ablation was performed on half of the females in each tank. Tanks received one turnover of water volume daily and the water temperature and salinity averaged 27.0°C and 28.6 ppt, respectively. Daily photoperiod was maintained at 13 hours of light. Ovarian maturation, spawning, molting rate, and survival were monitored daily and growth and gonad size were measured at termination. The composite diet was the best overall diet, while squid was the best single-food diet, followed by shrimp, worms, and clams. No maturation of unablated females was observed with the exception of one female that developed to stage 3. Although the size of the shrimp was considered marginal for spawning, 5 mated females were observed, but only one (squid treatment) produced viable nauplii. After termination of this study, all shrimp were fed the composite diet for 41 days. During this period, ovarian maturation and spawning occurred in the previously unproductive treatment receiving only clams, and growth rate of shrimp in all previously single-food treatments increased 4 to 7 fold. The composite diet was also fed to two tanks of P. stylirostris (mean initial weight = 45.4 g) for a period of 118 days. During that time, 50 spawns were obtained with up to 3 spawns per female. A total of 4.3 × 10⁵ P. stylirostris nauplii were produced.     

Reproductive performance in induced and spontaneous spawning of the mangrove red snapper, Lutjanus argentimaculatus: a potential candidate species for sustainable aquaculture

A reliable breeding technique was developed for the mangrove red snapper, Lutjanus argentimaculatus (Forsskal 1775), to help sustain the aquaculture of this immensely popular species in Southeast Asia. Using standardized indices of female maturity (based on mean oocyte diameter of ≥0.40 mm), time of injection (1000–1130) and sex ratio (one female to two males), a single injection of 100 μg kg^?1 luteinizing hormone‐releasing hormone analogue (LHRHa) (n=16 fish), but not 50 μg kg^?1 (n=five fish), successfully induced egg (62.5% success rate) and larval (43.8%) production. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) at 500 IU kg^?1 (n=five fish) also failed to induce spawning, but doses of 1000 (n=22 fish) and 1500 IU kg^?1 (n=15 fish) gave spawning (77.3% and 80.0% respectively) and hatching success rates (72.7% and 60.0% respectively) that were not significantly different from those of 100 μg kg^?1 LHRHa. No spawning was observed in saline‐injected controls (n=seven fish). While mean spawning latency, egg diameter, egg production per spawn, percent egg viability, hatching rate, percent of normal larvae and cumulative survival of eggs to normal larvae did not differ significantly among the effective hormones and doses, 1000 IU kg^?1 hCG had a higher percentage (76.5%) of total spawns with egg production per spawn in excess of one million than those of 1500 IU kg^?1 hCG (50.0%) and 100 μg kg^?1 LHRHa (40.0%). Mangrove red snapper spontaneously spawned from March–April to November–December with a peak of egg collection and spawning in May–June. Egg collection per spawn ranged from 0.05 to 6.35 million. Spontaneous spawning of mangrove red snapper exhibited lunar periodicity with spawns mostly occurring 3 days before or after the last quarter and new moon phases and occurred consistently between 02:00 and 04:00 hours. High fecundity and good egg quality, coupled with the ability to respond to induce spawning or natural spawning in captivity, provide a sound basis for improving the sustainability of red snapper aquaculture in Southeast Asia.     

Dietary vitamin C and E supplementation and reproduction of milkfish Chanos chanos Forsskal

Milkfish Chanos chanos Forsskal broodstock (11 years old, average body weight 5.23–5.73 kg) reared in 10‐m‐diameter by 3‐m‐deep floating net cages (31–36 fish per cage) at SEAFDEC AQD's Igang Marine Substation in Guimaras Island, central Philippines, were fed daily at 3% of total body weight formulated diets (36% protein, 7–8% lipid) supplemented with 0.1% vitamin C, 0.05% vitamin E, both vitamin C and E or no vitamin supplementation (control) for 3 years. Reproductive performance was assessed in an attempt to determine the optimum nutrition for successful spawning of milkfish. The total egg production, mean number of eggs per spawning, number of spawns and mean egg diameter were not affected by dietary vitamin C and E supplementation. However, broodstock given dietary supplementation of vitamin C alone or in combination with vitamin E had a higher percentage of spawns with higher (> 90%) percentage egg viability, hatching and cumulative survival rate than those of the control. Broodstock given dietary vitamin E supplementation alone had few spawns, which made the results difficult to analyse. The results confirm the essentiality of vitamin C supplementation in producing more spawns with good egg and larval quality. The production of an adequate volume of good quality eggs and larvae to support hatchery operation is necessary to offset the huge investment in broodstock development, as it takes at least 5 years for milkfish to attain sexual maturation and spawning.     

Zero-Inflated Discrete Statistical Models for Fecundity Data Analysis in Channel Catfish, Ictalurus punctatus

Traditional fecundity analysis, either as number of eggs per body weight of female or number of eggs per gram of egg mass, pay little attention to females that do not spawn. These fecundity variables contain a high proportion of zeroes either because of the absence of eggs or the inability to recover the eggs. Zero‐inflated discrete generalized linear models are an alternative method that can be developed to take into account females that do not spawn. In this case study, we propose discrete generalized linear models that use specially constructed mixture models to handle the excess zeroes such as the zero‐inflated Poisson and zero‐inflated negative binomial models. These models have the advantage of modeling fecundity simultaneously with the probability of spawning. The results show that age was the most significant factor influencing the number of eggs per gram of egg mass, while period of spawning was the most significant factor influencing the number of eggs per female body weight. These were also the most important variables that significantly affected the probability of successful spawning. Model residual diagnostics show that zero‐inflated models exhibit superior performance compared to the traditional models like analysis of covariance, Poisson regression, and negative binomial regression models.     

Reproductive Performance of Macrobrachium rosenbergii Females in Captivity

Abstract.— The breeding frequency, fecundity, egg hatchability, larval output and viability of pond-reared, mature Macrobrachium rosenbergii females were individually followed up during 180 d. Sexually mature prawns were maintained under controlled laboratory conditions (28.7 C and 12-h light/d) in a 190-L freshwater recirculation system and fed a formulated diet. Ovarian development, moulting and spawning events were checked daily. At least six consecutive moults were recorded for each of the 18 females. The duration of the intermoult period averaged 27.5 d and was not affected by ovarian development or spawning, but intermoult periods followed by spawning had significantly lower growth rates. From a total of 126 moulting events recorded, egg laying successfully followed 76 (60.3%) of them. The number of eggs per spawn (NES) varied from 26,587 to 74,775 for females weighing 20.0 to 55.8 g. The relationship between NES and female size (W; in g) was found to be NES = 484 + 1454W ( r ²= 0.74). Results suggest that the number of viable larvae produced per egg clutch may be increased by in vitro incubation, as the losses of eggs, which usually occur under in vivo incubation, are prevented. The present study illustrates that under adequate and stable rearing conditions, M. rosenbergii females are able to spawn up to five times during 180 d, in comparison to three to five times per year as reported for wild prawn populations.     

Spawning and Development of Larvae and Juveniles of the Rare Blue Mauritius Angelfish,Centropyge debelius (1988), in the Hatchery

This study documents the rearing and life history stages of the rare blue Mauritius angelfish, Centropyge debelius, from spawning of eggs through sexual maturity. A C. debelius pair was maintained at our facility for 22 mo. The pair was conditioned to spawn for a 4‐mo period in the fall of 2005 and a 4‐mo period in the summer of 2006 using water temperature and photoperiod manipulation. Continuous spawning was achieved at water temperatures between 22 and 24 C and a photoperiod of long day (LD) 13.5:10.5. Over a 124‐d period, the female produced 97 spawns, 59% of which resulted in fertile eggs. The average fecundity per spawn was 237 eggs (range 13–813 eggs). Fertility of all preserved spawns averaged 19.0 ± 19.8%. Larval rearing attempts using wild caught zooplankton and Artemia nauplii resulted in a total of 10 C. debelius juveniles raised through metamorphosis with an average larval survival up through metamorphosis of 0.36%. Three resulting juveniles were raised through sexual maturity. Sexual dichromatism was first observed about 180 d posthatch. A statistical model: Y = (X× 0.32437) ? (X²× 0.00043) ? 2.004, where Y = total length (mm) and X = number of days in culture, explained 97.6% of the variation in growth (P < 0.001, R² = 0.976). The development of eggs and larvae was observed to be similar to that of other Centropyge species that have been cultured. Results of this study indicate that the artificial propagation of C. debelius is technically feasible and forms the basis for this report.     

Pigment deficiency correction in shrimp broodstock using Spirulina as a carotenoid source

In this study, an effort was made to cure the pigment deficiency syndrome (PDS) exhibited by pond‐reared Fenneropenaeus indicus (H.Milne Edwards) broodstock, using the blue‐green algae Spirulina as a carotenoid source in diet. The PDS symptoms included bleaching of ovary and reduced early larval performance. Biochemical analysis indicated reduced quantity of total carotenoids in egg and nauplii from the females with PDS. When PDS females were fed 30 g kg^?1Spirulina‐supplemented diet immediately after the appearance of symptoms, the egg and nauplii carotenoid values improved gradually and attained the pre‐PDS values after a minimum of 4 week period. Spirulina supplementation also improved significantly (P < 0.05) the spawn quality (hatch per spawn, nauplii per spawn, nauplii viability) and larval quality indices (P < 0.05). The egg and nauplii protein values exhibited a trend similar to carotenoids, confirming the influence of latter on protein stability previously reported by researchers. The study confirms the bioavailability of carotenoids from Spirulina to shrimp broodstock and recommends its regular inclusion in diet to preclude carotenoid deficiency‐related problems in shrimp hatcheries.