Aquaculture of Marine Shrimp

Ana Paula Pego Marine Aquaculture - DISL

Dr. Hugh Hammer – Summer 2012

Cultured Marine Shrimp/Taxonomy

Pacific whiteleg shrimp(Pacific white shrimp)

Litopenaeus vannamei(Formally known as Penaeus vannamei)

Cultured Marine Shrimp/Taxonomy

Pacific tiger shrimp(giant tiger prawn)

Penaeus monodon

Biology/Habitat• Benthic feeders: detritus, bivalves, worms,

crustaceans• Preferred temperature: Above 20 °C• Preferred salinity: Between 15-25 ppt• Maturity: Male 20g, Female 28g (8-10 months app.)

Penaeus vannamei

Penaeus monodon

•WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY?WHY? WHY? WHY?

NOT ME!!!

Economic Importance

• Worldwide production: 5.0 million metric tons per year

• US$ 9 billion/year• The United States

import 500,000 tons that account for US$ 3 billion. 1 2 3

0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

Pacific White Shrimp Production

Shrimp Production

Year

Met

ric T

ons

1997 2000 2005

Price $$$United States Import:• 2000 – US$ 5.00/ lbs.• 2005 – US$ 3-3.50/ lbs.Store:• Small ≈ US$ 5.00 / 12 oz.• Large ≈ US$ 8.00• Europe 2000 – US$8.50/kg

small shrimp• Japan 2000 – US$8.00/kg

large shrimp

Main Markets

• United States• Europe Union• Japan

These three sites consume more than one third of the consumption of shrimp in the world.

264,000

477,000

Importation of Shrimp in the US

Year2005

Year 2000

* Metric Tons

Main Countries of Production SE Asia account for more than 75% of the world’s production (China and Thailand mainly)

Latin American account for about 20%

In the USA, mainly Texas and South Carolina <1% global

Invasive Species

Pacific white shrimp is an invasive species on the Gulf of Mexico.Production in ponds in all coastal states, but it is hypothesized that Texas’ ponds are responsible for the addition of the species in the GOM.

Life Cycle/Larvae

• Reach maturity at about 10 months

• Adults live and spawn in open ocean

• Postlarvae migrate inshore - estuaries, mangroves – and they stay there as juveniles until they reach maturity to go to open ocean

• Larvae:1. nauplii - survive off yolk

reserves2. Protozoe - planktivore3. Mysis – planktivore 4. Early post larvae -

planktivore5. Postlarvae – benthic feeder

Reproduction in Captivity

• Capture shrimp from ocean – if mature adult add to spawning tanks in hatchery, if juvenile, add to maturity tank for a few months;

Eggs are taken into hatching tanks until they form the first stage of larvae, nauplius.

Production Methods

Hatchery

• Once an adult shrimp has spawn, eggs are transferred to hatching tanks until they become nauplius, the first stage larvae, which takes about 2-4 days.

• Systems vary from sophisticated/ environmental controlled structures to simple flat, V shape tanks.

• No need to feed since nauplii live off of yolk sac

Nursery

• The next stages larvae are zoea (4-5 days) and mysis (3-4 days).

• Systems vary from separate concrete nursery tanks or ponds, and may include cages within the ponds.

• Both larvae stages are planktivores, but food is also added into the system.

Grow-out

• Extensive Aquaculture (mainly Latin America)– Add postlarvae at minimal tide – mangroves, ponds– No water pump/aeration– It takes about 4-6 months to become sub adult

• Intensive Aquaculture (Southeast Asia)– Add postlarvae to small earth ponds (common)– Heavily aerated, recirculating, use liners to enhance

water quality, feed daily– Use bacterial floc system to diminish feed

Grow-Out

• Hatchery: No feeding, feed on yolk sac• Nursery: Fed once a dayExtensive Aquaculture:• Shrimp is fed daily feeding with low protein

diet (decrease deamination)

• Intensive Aquaculture- Shrimp is fed daily,

but it also feeds on natural foods, heterotrophic bacteria, detritus.

- Integrated systems: Low or no feed.

Harvest sub adult 10-25g

Water Chemistry/Environmental Requirements in Culture

• SALINITY: 15-25 ppt– Tolerate wide fluctuation, 5-40 ppt (Higher salinity may retard growth)

• TEMPERATURE: 25-30°C– rate of chemical and biological reactions is said to double every 10°C

increase in temperature• pH: 7.5-9

– below 5 retards growth – can add lime to neutralize• ALKALINITY: pH levels must be below 9.5 (retard shrimp

growth)• AMMONIA: 0.45mg/L (4.5ppm) can reduce growth by 50% • DO: above 5 ppm

– Exchange water, improve aeration, avoid trees, larger ponds allow more O₂ diffusion

Marine Shrimp• ADVANTAGES

– Intensive aquaculture• High density, successful,

tolerance to variability– Very profitable

• Most consumed seafood in the US, fast growth

– Easy to maintain and harvest

– Less destructive than trawiling

– Natural food/No complete feed

• DISADVANTAGES• Greenpeace Red List:

Unsustainable fisheries that destroy mangroves, overfish juvenile shrimp and suffer significant human rights abuse– Ponds

• Land space• Water use• Difficult treat

Works Cited

• Culture of Marine Shrimp - Leonard Lovshin. Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquaculture. Auburn University, AL.

• Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. www.fao.org

• World Wildlife Fund