REPRODUCTION IN CAPTIVITY AND GROWTH OF Penaeus monodon, FABRICIUS IN POLYNESIA

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Abstract
To develop shrimp farming in French Polynesia where no indigenous commercial species of penaeid prawn exists, the first step is to select the right species according to the following criteria: maturation and spawning in captivity, mass production of post‐larvae, fast growth at semi‐intensive density, acceptability of artificial diet, disease resistance and hardiness.This paper presents the results on P. monodon, Fabricius, the largest Indo‐Pacific species. Experiments have been conducted in the “Centre Océanologique du Pacifique” in Tahiti Island where the environmental conditions are: water temperature range 25–29 C, salinity 35 ppt, pH 8.2.Beginning with 9 females and 4 males from Fiji and New‐Caledonia, kept in sand bottom 12 m3tanks, F1 generation was obtained in November 1975 and F2 generation in August 1976. Maturation is induced after one eye ablation by pinching the eyestalk. From May to July, 6 females from 45 to 130 g gave 18 spawnings which totalized 3.3 times 106eggs, thus proving it is possible to sustain a commercial operation from captive reared animals. Mass mortalities which occurred during the larval rearing are now under control by use of antifungicides und antibiotics.Protein and energy requirements were studied by means of purified and artificial diets. It has been found that a 40% protein content and 3.3 kcal/g diet gives the best growth performance. An artificial dry pellet has been developed and 25 g mean weight animals have been harvested after 7 months in earth rearing ponds at a density of 10 ind/m2.Among 6 penaeid species under experiment in Tahiti, P. monodon is the most promising for the South Pacific tropical area.

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