THE EVOLUTION OF THE GRASS PRAWN (PENAEUS-MONODON) HATCHERY INDUSTRY IN TAIWAN

The establishment of the technique for the artificial propagation of t he grass prawn or black tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon) has paved the wa y for the rapid development of the prawn culture industry in Taiwan. P oor quality of hatchery-produced larvae, among others, has been blamed for the drastic reduction in production in recent years. The evolutio n of the hatchery industry concerning broodstock sourcing, hatchery sy stem and rearing methods, and disease prevention and sanitation measur es are reviewed. In addition, relevant future considerations on the es tablishment of a fry quality verification system to ensure high qualit y fry, and concomitantly, the revivification of the prawn culture indu stry in Taiwan, are addressed.