Induction of maturity and spawning in Penaeus monodon Fabricius, 1798, by unilateral eyestalk ablation (Decapoda, Natantia)

Abstract

Preliminary experiments carried out at the Aquaculture Department of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre in the Philippines have achieved success in the rearing of viable F₁ postlarvae of Penaeus monodon from pond reared stocks. Unilateral eyestalk ablation was carried out on 100 female. 7 of these had successfully spawned at 23-months. Egg numbers up to 355,000 per female and successful hatch rates of up to 81% wee obtained. Bilaterally ablated female suffered total mortality by 196 days from eyestalk removal without 1 recorded spawning. Similarly, no spawnings were obtained from unablated controls. It is difficult to determine whether success can be solely attributed to unilateral ablation, or whether a fortuitous choice of experimental site played some major role. In any case, the data obtained are a valuable guide for future work aimed at propagating P.monodon commercially under fully controlled conditions.