Captive broodstock of the spiny lobster, Panulirus homarus, mated successfully and produced more than 105 spawnings over 4 years. Improvements in nutrition and rearing conditions increased the number of spawnings from less than 2, to 4 per year. A single breeder mates three or more times in a year and may spawn more than once following a single mating. An average of four repetitive spawnings per year was recorded. One third of the females spawned 5 times and a single female spawned 7 times in one year. The phyllosoma were released in one or two batches on successive days. The number of phyllosoma larvae released varied from 16 000 to 529 180 with breeder weights ranging from 218 to 696 g.
A survey on the presence of the viruses of two economically significant diseases, white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) and monodon baculovirus (MBV) in wild-collected Penaeus monodon broodstock, was conducted during different seasons of the year in two major coastal areas of southeast India. The broodstock were collected along the coast of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh during summer, premonsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons for three consecutive years. A total of 7905 samples were collected and subjected to MBV screening, and 6709 samples that were screened as MBV negative were diagnosed for WSSV. MBV was detected using rapid malachite green staining and WSSV by nested polymerase chain reaction. Prevalence data of the viruses were analysed using the EpiCalc 2000 program at 95% confidence interval. Samples collected from the Andhra Pradesh coast displayed a slightly higher prevalence of WSSV and MBV infection than those collected from Tamil Nadu, although this difference was not statistically significant (P > 005). In addition, it was found that the prevalence of both WSSV and MBV infections fluctuated according to season. Data on prevalence of these viruses in broodstock would be useful to develop strategies for shrimp health management along the southeast coast of India.
A pair of subadult Panulirus ornatus was reared in the laboratory from July 2001. The female grew from 0.6 to 1.3 kg and the male from 0.5 to 1.6 kg in 2 years before the first mating in July 2003. In 6 months, from July to December 2003, the pair mated and spawned 3 times, producing 1.6 million eggs and 1.1 million phyllosoma larvae. Mating occurred 25 and 63 days after moulting. The female spawned 2-3 days after mating and the incubation time ranged from 23 to 27 days. The phyllosoma larvae were released over 2 successive days. The growth rate reduced after first mating in both the male and female and the female expended 42% of the total weight gain for egg production.
The World Organization for Animal Health (formerly Office International des Epizooties OIE) listed pathogenic shrimp virus, infectious hypodermal haematopoetic necrosis virus (IHHNV), has been detected in a specific pathogen free (SPF) declared consignment imported from an approved SPF vannamei broodstock supplier to India. The Aquatic Quarantine Facility (AQF), Chennai the only Government-approved quarantine premise for ensuring the SPF status of imported Penaeus vannamei broodstock detected this pathogen during its routine screening process. The AQF, which has so far screened about 1068 SPF batches of vannamei consignment, recorded that one particular batch imported to India was not SPF, though the exporting country declared the stock as SPF. The presence of the viral pathogen was confirmed by both nested PCR and quantitative PCR (qPCR). Sequencing data of the target viral genome revealed 100% similarity with the already published decapod penstyldensovirus-1 isolate IHHNV partial genome (GenBank accession no. KJ862253). The test results declared by AQF were further validated by the Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai, which is the referral laboratory of AQF. As the import of non-SPF stock into the country is a source of biosecurity threat, the entire batch was incinerated according to the standard operating procedure of AQF. Thus the stringent biosecurity measures and disease diagnostic strategies followed at AQF served to safeguard the industry from this virus, which would have otherwise gained entry into the country through the falsely claimed SPF stock. This communication highlights the importance of SPF stock and detection of IHHNV.
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