INTERACTION OF BACTERIA AND MALE REPRODUCTIVE-SYSTEM BLACKENING DISEASE OF CAPTIVE PENAEUS-SETIFERUS

The genital apparatus of male penaeid shrimp, Penaeus setiferus, black ens with resulting detrimental effects on mating for production of lar vae when animals are kept in controlled maturation/reproduction situat ions. A progressive, melanized condition of the male reproductive trac t was shown to be associated with bacterial infection. At least three different species (Vibrio alginolyticus, Pseudomonas putrefaciens, and an unclassified strain), were isolated from damaged tissues and succe ssfully developed the same signs in challenge experiments. It is sugge sted that the condition could be a progressive syndrome with bacterial invasion perhaps only in the advanced stages, or that more than one e tiology may be involved in deterioration and blackening of the P. seti ferus reproductive system.