ABSTRACT
Marine shrimps and freshwater prawns are the most widely cultured decapod crustaceans, with significant proportions of their production being based on hatchery-reared seed stock. A number of different strategies are employed by farmers to obtain penaeid larval seed stock. Extensive farming operations involve minimal farming input and allow the natural entry of larvae into rice fields, fishponds or impounded low-lying regions on the incoming tide. The onset of maturity and optimal reproductive output in shrimp is often linked to species-specific size and age parameters. The suggested minimum size of mature Litopenaeus vannamei broodstock for use in maturation facilities is 40 g for males and 45 g for females. Macrobrachium is a caridean prawn, naturally distributed throughout tropical and warm temperate regions of the world. The production of hatchery seed stock is divided predominately on the basis of tropical and temperate regions.
