A specially designed recirculation aquaculture system (RAS) was used to maintain a batch of Litopenaeus vannamei white shrimp broodstock in quarantine, maturation, reproduction and spawning. The objective was to determine the effectiveness of the RAS by monitoring the physical and chemical parameters of seawater quality and recording the biological production parameters.
The supply of shrimp broodstock from a genetic nucleus of lines tolerant to specific viral diseases and with improvements in growth is a necessary biosecurity measure to respond to the requirements of shrimp producers regarding the supply of healthy shrimp postlarvae. Their reproductive performance was evaluated in an operation period of 144 days, since the import of a batch of 450 reproducers from a commercial genetic nucleus of 2 lines of shrimp reproducers with an average weight of 30 grams: SPARTAN -tolerance to diseases- (234 organisms: 142 females and 92 males) and FURIOS -improved growth- (216 organisms: 144 females and 72 males).
The variables were the physicochemical parameters of seawater: temperature, hydrogen potential, ammonia nitrogen and alkalinity. The biological parameters were recorded: Survival, percentage of copulations, fertilization and hatching. The recirculation percentage was 95% with 5% replacement. The physical parameters described a stable behavior and within the requirements of the species; without presenting a significant difference (p> 0.05) between the RAS and the production tanks, but with respect to seawater. The recorded measurements of the chemical parameters did show a significant difference (p <0.05) between them, with better results in the RAS designed for this purpose. The data obtained from the biological parameters of production showed how the SPARTANs are significantly better (p <0.05) in their performance compared to the FURIOS (Fig. 1).
Figure 1. Survival by genetic line. Source: Own elaboration, 2020.
It was possible to establish the effectiveness of the system to maintain the quality of the water during the period of quarantine, maturation, reproduction and spawning of shrimp, at commercially acceptable levels; with an adapted equipment, reducing the investment and in a vinculation Institute:Company for the formation of human capital.
This level of reduction allows the supply of nauplii destined for the biosafety production of shrimp postlarvae, without the use of large quantities of seawater; thereby reducing the coastal environmental impact, preventing the occurrence of the introduction-dispersal of exotic diseases to the environment and the probability of the entry of vectors from the environment to the production facilities.