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.