Studies on technological improvements for enhancement of tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon Fabricius) larval production through micro algal feeding

The present study was done by visiting 21 shrimp hatcheries in the coastal districts of Kerala. The visits and studies revealed that shrimp hatcheries in Kerala had used broodstock animals for induced maturation and spawning based on unilateral eyestalk ablation in earlier times, however, due to the unavailability and/or high cost of brooders gradually this scenario changed and brought nauplii from other states; and reared in the hatcheries. Nauplii thus brought are further cultured under the standard protocol using live and artificial food, to supply the grow-out sectors with young post-larvae (FAO, 2004; Biao and Kaijin, 2007; Valverde-Moya and Alfaro-Montoya, 2014; Xu et al., 2018). The present study revealed that status of hatcheries in Kerala is found entirely different from the hatcheries and farms of other states. The system of operation and cultures maintained by each hatchery in Kerala is based on a package of practice set by the hatcheries considering their convenience and ease of handling. Tiger shrimp hatcheries in Kerala have a wide array of possibilities. However, considering the exploration of the foresaid possibilities, most of the culturists fail to follow a standard set of procedures and that gives them only instant success but considering the same on a long run it is found as a failure. The survey revealed that this results in loss of cultures and ultimately farmers leave the practice and divert themselves to some other activities. The present work is programmed in such a way that these drawbacks are minimized to a greater extend and take necessary steps to improve and help them to exist in a long run