K. Kevrekidis et T. Kevrekidis, EFFECTS OF SUBSTRATE ON GROWTH AND SURVIVAL OF POSTLARVAE AND JUVENILES OF PENAEUS-JAPONICUS BATE (CRUSTACEA, PENAEIDAE), Israel Journal of Zoology, 41(4), 1995, pp. 601-613
The effects of different substrates on growth and survival of artifici
ally reared Penaeus japonicus Bate postlarvae and juveniles were inves
tigated. Survival was found to be significantly less for postlarvae an
d juveniles reared without a substrate, due to an increase in cannibal
istic behavior. Medium sand for postlarvae and fine sand for juveniles
encouraged burrowing and reduced cannibalism among the prawns. Growth
, expressed as the increase with time of carapace length, was signific
antly different among the treatments. The highest growth for postlarva
e and juveniles was attained with very coarse sand as the substrate. A
significant linear relationship between carapace length and total len
gth was also obtained for juvenile P. japonicus. The results of a choi
ce experiment on substratum preference suggest that the particle size
of the sand is important in affecting the distribution of juvenile P.
japonicus.