CULTURE OF INDIAN WHITE PRAWN (PENAEUS INDICUS) BROODERS FROM ADOLESCENT SHRIMPS USING NATURAL DIET IN THE CAPTIVITY

The shrimp farming success in the future will greatly depend upon increasing supplies of healthy and high quality seed for stocking ponds. The limited and inconsistent availability of wild shrimp postlarvae together with an urgent need of establishing selective breeding programs, increased the interest in captive broods of penaeids. Many investigations have been carried out on several shrimp species world-wide. This study has been conducted on 3 shrimp groups since September to July 1999 in Bandar-e-Imam southwest Iran. The wild group (SPB) prepared from jask area and the pond group (POB) prepred from artificial ponds upon. harvesting them as marketable size have been investigated. 2 groups were exposed to natural diets consisting of squid and artemia biomass in same conditions using 12 m33 concrete tanks. Stocking density was 2 piece/m2 (1F:1M). Half part of the pond bottom covered by fine sand to reduce the stress where the other part has been used for feeding. Daily ration given in 3 times by satiation method. Also reproductive performance of wild gravid brooders (WLB) were recorded as a control group. 2 examined groups well and around 30% of POB females successfully ripened an produced eggs and nauplii. Almost all males of both groups were matured. Data showed fecundity is highly correlated to the TL and W of the brooders by positive trend. Considering the TL, W, fecundity and nauplii production the WLB brooders are significantly (P<0.05) higher than 2 other groups, while the SPM brooders are significantly (P<0.05) higher in hatchability. Meanwhile the survival rate from nauplii to postlarvae stage was around 30% for SMP brooders. On the other hand the growth parameters (TL,W) of the marketable size of the shrimps produced from SMP brooders were significantly (P<0/05) higher than those produced from WLB group. Since the fecundity is important by increasing the brood size thus the data suggest the superiority of the SPM brooders.