Development of protocol for the production of hatchery-reared mud crab Scylla serrata juveniles for soft-shell crab farming

Abstract

Development of economically viable techniques for growing hatchery-reared juvenile crabs to suitable sizes will address the problem on the source of seed stocks for soft-shell crab farming. This paper reports the production of hatchery-reared mud crab Scylla serrata from juveniles in the nursery to 73-106 g body weight (BW) crabs in the grow-out pond for the individual system soft-shell crab farming. Likewise, the performance of hatchery-reared S. serrata, and wild S. tranquebarica and S. olivacea juveniles was determined in the soft-shell crab production set-up. The BW increased from 1.8-1.9 g to 78-113.7 g when stocked at 0.5 ind m^-2 and from 1.6-2.3 g to 73-106.7 g at 1.0 ind m^-2 after 75 days. Growth rates at both stocking densities were comparable. However, survival was significantly higher (P<0.05) in lower (63.6~c1.01%) than in higher (35.6~c3.34%) stocking density. Male S. serrata (46.0 ~c 1.75%) had significantly higher BW increase than females (39.4 ~c 2.05%). Crabs stocked at sizes of 51-60 g showed significantly greater percent increase in BW (43.26~c 0.98%) compared with those at 61-70 g (40.98~c1.33%), 71-80 g (38.55~c 1.04%), 81-90 g (36.34 ~c 1.27%) and 91-100 g (38.52 ~c 1.67%). Among the three species, hatchery-reared S. serrata (42.14 ~c 1.34%) had significantly higher mean percent BW increase compared with S. olivacea (38.23 ~c 0.49%) and S. tranquebarica (36.16 ~c 0.78%). S. serrata had significantly shorter mean culture period (24.11 ~c 0.95 days) than S. tranquebarica (28.48 ~c 0.54 days) and S. olivacea (28.75 ~c 0.34 days).