Reproductive Performance of Male Argentine Red Shrimp Pleoticus muelleri (Decapoda, Penaeoidea) in Culture Conditions

DÍAZ, ANA CRISTINA; FERNÁNDEZ GIMENEZ, ANALIA VERÓNICA; HARÁN NORA SELMA; FENUCCI JORGE LINO

JOURNAL OF THE WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Año: 2001 vol. 32 p. 236 - 242

0893-8849

Reproductive Performance of Male Argentine Red Shrimp Pleoticus muelleri Bate (Decapoda, Penaeoidea) in Culture Conditions Ana Cristina Díaz 1 , Analí V. Fernández Gimenez 1 , Nora S. Harán 1 Jorge L. Fenucci 1 1   1 Departamento de Ciencias Marinas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, UNMP, CONICET, CIC Bs. As., Funes 3350. B7602AYL, Mar del Plata, Argentina   1 Corresponding author. Copyright 2001 the World Aquaculture Society ABSTRACT Spermatophore and sperm quality of male Argentine red shrimp Pleoticus muelleri held under laboratory conditions was evaluated using compound spermatophore weight, sperm count and percentage of live sperm as indicators. Thirty-seven males of S to 20 g wet weight were held indoors in a 3-m diameter circular fiberglass tank for 45 d. They were fed fresh squid, clam and pelletized diet. Spermato-phores were obtained by manual ejaculations. Four shrimps were re-ejaculated to verify the subsequent spermatophore regeneration. Spermatophore mean weights were significantly lower for 5–10 g males than for 15–20 g males (r= 0.998) (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in sperm count and percent live sperm among the different weight classes (5–15 g, 15–20 g, 20–25 g). The sperm count varied from 2.22 to 5.62 million. No change in sperm quality was seen in re-ejaculated individuals. During the first 2 wk of the experiment, the spermatophores exhibited healthy morphology and colour; by the fifth week evidence of spermatophore deterioration was apparent. Despite the degree of melanization, sperm quality was not affected and the high variability in sperm count indicated that the artificial ejaculation is adequate in this species.