Jacques Patrois

Selection for better growth of Penaeus stylirostris in Tahiti and New Caledonia

Abstract The penaeid shrimp, Penaeus stylirostris , has been domesticated in French Polynesia and New Caledonia for 20 years and was used in an experimental mass selection for better growth. The population under selection was graded once or twice each generation, which induced a selection rate fluctuating between 4% and 18% from 1 year to the next. At each generation, 24 to 32 individuals were used as parents (Ne=21–32) in the selected line and in the control line. The injection of colored elastomer in the two populations allowed an assessment of the genetic progress in earthen rearing ponds. The fifth generation demonstrated an increase of growth rate of 21% when compared to the nonselected control line. The optimization of the selection schemes and their integration into the production hatcheries is discussed with a special focus on the optimization of the age of grading.