Effect of prepared diet on the induction of precocious maturation in Pleoticus muelleri Bate (Crustacea, Penaeoidea)

Experiments were conducted comparing the reproductive performance of ablated female shrimp Pleoticus muelleri fed either a fresh frozen diet (ND) (clam, prawn, squid) and the same diet supplemented with 15% of an artificial diet (SD) (54% protein, 13% lipid, 7% moisture). The shrimp were maintained in 3500‐L tanks (12 h light‐12 h dark photoperiod, temperature 18–20°C, pH 7, salinity 31 g L^?1, ammonium <0.2 mg L^?1, and sea water exchanged at 100% per day) for 45 days. Significant differences in weight gain were determined between ablated females fed ND (37.2%) and SD (26.4%). No significant differences in the average duration of the intermolt period (19±2 days) were recorded. Females fed SD showed signs of maturation 20 days after ablation, with spawning occurring 1 day later, as long as ablated females fed ND reached maturation 4 weeks after did not occur. The number of eggs per spawn varied from 136 000 to 345 000; the percentage viability ranged between 39.3% and 99.3% with an average of 78.5%. The results indicated that a suitable formulated diet together with eyestalk ablation promotes maturation of P. muelleri in captivity.