The Effect of Salinity on the Embryonic Development of the Giant Freshwater Prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man, 1879) Under Laboratory Conditions

Abstract

Prawn farming is a highly profitable activity given the high level of commercial interest associated with prawn species. Macrobrachium rosenbergii, known as the giant freshwater prawn, is the largest prawn of its genus and presents great adaptability in terms of the handling it requires. Given the foregoing, research is ongoing to broaden knowledge in order to improve the quality of production for this species in northern region of the state of Veracruz, Mexico, by studying the behavior of these anadromous organisms from the first stages of life onwards. The experimental design of the present study involved placing gravid females in incubators with different levels of salinity (5,9, and 12 psu) and a control containing freshwater, with three replicas conducted per salinity treatment, giving a total of 12 experimental units with a female in each. In general terms, the results obtained showed, in general terms, a total of 13 days for the embryonic development of M. rosenbergii. Although a decreasing volume of eggs was observed as the salinity increased, the percentage of hatchings was higher at 9 psu, with 65%, than for the other salinity treatments. The results also reveal that the 12 psu treatment obtained a better survival percentage (12.06%) than the other treatments. The different biotic factors to which the organisms may be exposed are also considered in the present study.