Thermal tolerance of larval greentail prawn Metapenaeus bennettae (Raced and Dall) a comparison with school prawn Metapenaeus macleayi

Abstract

The thermal tolerance of four larval stages of Metapenaeus bennettae was studied in the laboratory. Critical Thermal Maximum (CTM), One hour Median Lethal Temperature (lhLT50), and Median Resistance Time (MRT) were measured. Moulting rate of larvae and hatching rate of embryos were also monitored to study the delayed effect of thermal stress.

Thermal tolerance was shown to be strongly dependent on acclimation temperature (TA) at all larval stages,which showed ontogenetic development of thermal resistance. Moulting of larvae was hindered at temperatures (37.2°C for nauplius when TA=25°C) well below lhLT50 (38.1°C for nauplius when TA=25°C). The embryonic stages were more susceptible to thermal stress than the larval stages. The salinity effects were also significant. Nauplius and protozoea stages showed their highest CTM values at the salinity in which they were spawned.When compared with another penaeid M. macleayi (offshore breeder), M. bennettae (estuarine breeder) was found to have higher thermal resistance, but was less adaptive to changes in acclimation temperature.