Development of Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) Penaeus monodon Broodstock for High Health and High Performance

Shrimp farming is the world's most valuable aquaculture sector with 1994 production of 733,000 MT and crop value of $4 billion. This huge industry depends on wild animals with its seedstock either gathered directly from the sea or produced in hatcheries from wild-caught broodstock. Recently the industry has experienced severe disease problems which in part are due to its reliance on wild animals known to carry a variety of pathogens. Massive epizootics in several major shrimp producing areas have caused 80% crop failures. Based on the highly successful development of Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) Penaeus vannamei broodstock for the U.S. shrimp industry, this project will develop a stock of SPF P. monodon. Comprising over 60% of world production, the black tiger shrimp, P. monodon, is the most important (in volume and value) farm-raised shrimp worldwide. The same procedures used for developing SPF P. vannamei (ICES guidelines) will be followed in this project. Technical objectives of the project include: to locate and import sources of SPF-candidate P. monodon postlarvae; to screen for pathogens and rear "clean" candidate groups in quarantine to reproduction size; to reproduce and screen offspring of candidate groups to certify their SPF status.