Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, Aquaculture Department Institutional Repository (SEAFDEC/AQD Institutional Repository )

Villaluz, Antonio C.

DISEASES AND OTHER CAUSES OF MORTALITIES OF SUGPO 
IN THE HATCHERY AND IN PONDS
by
Anton io  C. V i l la lu z
Sugpo l ik e  any o the r l i v in g  th in g , get s ic k . They are 
sub jec t to  a l l  k in d s  o f diseases from the moment the eggs are 
spawned up to  o ld  age.
I t  i s  recogn ized fa c t  th a t poor water q u a l i ty  and 
inadequate n u t r i t io n  are the bas ic  de term inants o f disease 
outbreaks and should be o f p rim ary  concern in  disease c o n tro l.  
Disease i s  an expression o f a complex in te ra c t io n  o f h o s t, 
disease causing organisms and environm ent, and the environment 
as w e ll as the c u ltu re d  organisms are h ig h ly  abnormal i n  
many in te n s iv e -h ig h  d e n s ity  c u ltu re  s itu a t io n s .  The in fe c t io n s  
disease problems th a t have surfaced thus fa r ,  are m ic ro b ia l 
in  o r ig in  -  caused by b a c te r ia , fu n g i and p ro tozoa . Undoubtedly 
as sugpo c u ltu re  in  t h is  coun try  expands, new or p re s e n tly  
unsuspected disease e n t i t ie s  w i l l  emerge and assume p o s it io n s  
o f s ig n if ic a n c e  in  t he commercial p ro d u c tio n .
In  the in te n s iv e  re a r in g  o f f r y  in  ha tchery  tanks, 
environm enta l fa c to rs  are g re a t ly  a lte re d  and outbreaks o f 
diseases occu r. Water used in  the  hatchery, i s  g e n e ra lly  o f 
h igh  s a l in i t y ,  c le a r  and r e la t iv e ly  fre e  from b io lo g ic a l ,  
organ ic and in o rg a n ic  p o l lu ta n ts .  F a ilu re  to  a t ta in  such
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water c o n d it io n  g ive  way to  in fe s ta t io n  o f the eggs by b a c te r ia  
and fu n g i a few m inutes a f te r  spawning, causing very  low 
ha tch ing  r a te . M inute o n e -ce lle d  anim als c a lle d  protozoans 
may a lso  a tta c k  the egg membrane and k i l l  the develop ing 
prawn la rv a e .
A f te r  h a tch in g , the la rva e  are sometimes in fe s te d  by 
fu n g i which g ra d u a lly  invade and rep lace  a l l  t h e i r  t is s u e s . 
The in fe c te d  in d iv id u a ls  tu rn  m ilk y  w h ite  in  appearance and 
become im m obile . M o r ta l i t y  may reach 100%. At tim e s , 
m icroscop ic  p la n ts  (b e n th ic  diatom s) and protozoans a tta c h  
themselves to  the eyes and appendages o f the la rv a e , in h ib i t in g  th e ir  
swimming a c tio n  and fo rc in g  them to  s e t t le  on the bottom o f 
the ha tchery  ta n k . Th is  prevents them from e a tin g , thus 
causing m o r ta l i ty  due to  s ta rv a t io n . On some occasions, 
diatoms and protozoans form a mat on th e  g i l l  su rface  and 
su ffo ca te  and la rv a e . The use o f a n t i - b io t ic s ,  drugs and 
o the r chem icals have been experimented on, bu t no e f fe c t iv e  
c o n tro l has ye t been fo rm u la te d .
On the over-crowded c o n d it io n  o f the ha tchery tank , 
the water q u a l i ty  g ra d u a lly  d e te r io ra te s . The la rva e  extrudes 
gases and substances such as NH4 ; CO2 , and feces which a re  
c o n t in u a lly  b u ild in g  up in  the re a r in g  w a te r, making the 
medium d e tr im e n ta l to  the w e ll be ing o f the la rv a e . The 
la rva e  e v e n tu a lly  d ie  when to x ic  le v e ls  are reached.
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In tro d u c t io n  o f diatoms to  u t i l i z e  NH4 and CO2 in  the 
environment and fre q u e n t changing o f the re a r in g  water to  
d i lu te  the accumulated poisonous m a te r ia ls  are in s t i t u te d  
to  p reven t weakening and re ta rd a t io n  o f the la rv a e .
I t  has been observed th a t diatoms alone are no t 
n u t r i t io n a l ly  s u f f ic ie n t  fo r  the  zoea s tage. V itam ins are 
a lso  needed, such Thiamine or V itam in  B. complex which bread 
yeast can amply p ro v id e .
Sugpo, c u ltu re d  in  sm a ll numbers in  ponds, grow 
v ig o ro u s ly  h e a lth y , w h ile  those c u lt iv a te d  in te n s iv e ly ,  
e a s ily  get s ic k  and growth is  re ta rd e d , again the  v ic tim s o f 
un favo rab le  c o n d itio n s  and n u t r i t io n a l  d e f ic ie n c ie s .  In  a 
pond c o n ta in in g  sm a ll numbers o f sugpo, the environm enta l 
parameters needed fo r  good h e a lth  and speedy growth are w e ll 
taken cared o f by na tu re  and the favo red  food organisms are 
no t exhausted u n t i l  h a rv e s t, w h ile  the  oppos ite  occurs when 
they are c u ltu re d  in  la rg e  numbers w ith in  a l im ite d  space.
There are two p o ss ib le  s o lu t io n s  to  these problem s. 
One is  to  c ir c u la te  the w ater in  the pond w ith  the use o f 
a e ra tio n  o r w ater pump and fu rn is h  the prawn w ith  a r t i f i c i a l  
feeds such as amahong, tra s h  f is h e s  and o ther k in d s  o f food 
r ic h  in  p ro te in .  The o th e r s o lu t io n  is  by ro ta t in g  the 
sugpo in  a number o f ponds, th a t i s ,  t r a n s fe r r in g  them to  a 
p re v io u s ly  prepared pond every two months, the pond area 
p ro g re s s iv e ly  b ig ge r eve ry  t ra n s fe r .
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The environm enta l fa c to rs  in  the fishpond are very 
hard to  c o n tro l.  Heavy ra in s ,  fo r  example, crea te  a s e rie s  
o f changes in  th e  chem is try  o f the pond. S a l in i t y  on 
the surface  becomes lo w e r, r e s u lt in g  in  the s t r a t i f i c a t io n  o f 
the pond w a te r. Th is  c o n d it io n  causes O2 d e p le tio n  on the 
low er la y e r  o f the pond water and s ince  sugpo s tay  on the bottom 
o f the pond, and as they are very s e n s it iv e  to  low oxygen le v e l,  
mass m o r ta l i ty  takes p la ce .
T u rb id ity  or too much suspended mud p a r t ic le s  in  the 
w ate r, e s p e c ia lly  a t h igh  tem perature is  f a t a l  to  the prawns 
be ing c u ltu re d .
The ju v e n ile  sugpo in  the fishpond  may a lso  be in fe s te d  
by b a c te r ia , p ro g re s s iv e ly  d e s tro y in g  the  exoskele ton o f the 
prawn and p ro v id in g  ro u te s  o f e n try  fo r  secondary disease 
causing organism s. These b a c te r ia  are always present in  the 
marine environment and l iv e  on the surface  o f the s h e ll o f 
sugpo. Prawns w ith  th is  disease have brownish c o lo ra t io n  a t the 
back. The e f fe c ts  o f t h is  disease may be e lim in a te d  by m o u ltin g , 
but u s u a lly ,  the u n d e rly in g  tis s u e s  are a lre ad y  damaged by 
secondary invaders  th a t they seldom re co ve r. For p reven tive  
measures, i t  i s  best to  p ra c tic e  the two methods described 
e a r l ie r .
Other sources o f in fe s ta t io n s  o f sugpo in  ponds are the 
protozoans. Heavy in fe s ta t io n s  produce a mat on the g i l l
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surface and o c c a s io n a lly  on the eyes, appendages and carapace, 
causing heavy m o r ta l i t ie s ,  p a r t ic u la r ly  among young in d iv id u a ls  
when the oxygen c o n ce n tra tio n  is  low .
Prawns are not exempt from diseases in v o lv in g   re p ro d u c tive  
organs caused by pro tozoans. The in fe c te d  sugpo are rendered 
s t e r i le ,  weakened o r more vu ln e ra b le  to  o the r environm enta l 
s tre sse s ,
Many p a ra s ite s  o f sugpo from n a tu ra l waters have been 
observed, p a r t ic u la r ly  worms and crustaceans, bu t these have not 
been observed o f s ig n if ic a n c e  to  aquafarm p o p u la tio n s . Some 
o f these may emerge a problem in  the  fu tu re ,  however. As we 
c u ltu re  sugpo more and more in te n s iv e ly ,  d iseases and p a ra s ite s  
w i l l  trans fo rm  in to  g re a te r problems u n t i l  adequate and de fined  
d ie ts ,  as w e ll as e f fe c t iv e  c o n tro l o f water q u a l i ty  can be 
re a liz e d .


English

Diseases and other causes of mortalities of sugpo in the hatchery and in ponds

Tumanda Jr., Marcelino I.

SUGPO FRY PRODUCTION AT 
MSU-IFRD
by
M arce lino  I .  Tumanda,Jr.
INTRODUCTION
S ta tus o f F ry  P roduction  in  the  P h ilip p in e s
Prawn c u ltu re  has a tt ra c te d  the in te re s t  o f va rio u s  
sec to rs  o f the  coun try  because o f the  e v e r- in c re a s in g  demand 
fo r  prawn and i t s  by -p roduc ts  bo th  in  the lo c a l and fo re ig n  
m arkets. A t p re se n t, in te n s iv e  c u l t iv a t io n  o f  t h is  crustacean 
i s  d i f f i c u l t  to  re a liz e  owing to  the u n a v a i la b i l i t y  of  f r y  
seed lings  th a t would supply the vas t fishponds sca tte re d  th rough­
out the a rch ipe lago  in  any tim e o f the ye a r. Thus, many 
fishpond  ope ra to rs  cou ld  on ly  con ten t themselves o f a v a il in g  
whatever f r y  seed lings  may come in to  th e i r  fishponds the 
moment they open t h e i r  gates to  a llo w  fre s h  t id a l  w a te r.
Moreover, t h is  supply is  no t constan t due to  changes in  the 
n a tu ra l p o p u la tio n  from season a f te r  season and from year 
a f te r  yea r.
The p ic tu re  i s  c le a r .  For in te n s iv e  c u l t iv a t io n  o f 
prawns in  re a r in g  ponds to  be v ia b le , steady supply o f  f r y  
seed lings  i s  an im p e ra tiv e . Th is  cou ld  on ly  be p o ss ib le  i f  
seed banks cou ld  be e s ta b lis h e d  a t s t ra te g ic  lo c a tio n s  in  
the  coun try  where lo c a l fishpond  ope ra to rs  could a v a i l  
themselves o f the needed f r y .
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The ha tche ry  p ro je c t  be ing undertaken by the 
Mindanao S ta te  U n iv e rs ity  through the In s t i t u t e  o f F is h e r ie s  
Research and Development in  c o lla b o ra t io n  w ith  the N a tio n a l 
Science Development Board and o th e r agencies both p u b lic  and 
p r iv a te ,  i s  aimed to  e le va te  the s ta tu s  o f  prawn c u ltu re  to  
a le v e l o f s t a b i l i t y  where prawn seed lings  may be made a v a ila b le  
in  adequate q u a n t it ie s  th roughout the ye a r. Hatchery techno logy 
is  be ing developed and s tandard ized  w ith  the hope o f t ra n s fe r r in g  
th is  techno logy to  the p r iv a te  sec to rs  who may w ish to  put up 
such venture f o r  co m m e rc ia liza tio n .
Th is  techno logy has a lready caught f i r e .  W ith the 
estab lishm ent o f the  Naawan prawn ha tche ry , the Southeast Asian 
F is h e r ie s  Development Center a t Tigbauan, I l o i l o ,  fo llo w e d  s u i t . 
There are two p r iv a te  h a tch e rie s  e x is t in g  in  Luzon; one i s  i n  
Batangas and the o th e r one i s  in  Quezon. In  the V isayas the re  
is  one p r iv a te  ha tche ry  la b o ra to ry  in  Roxas. In  Mindanao, the 
p rov ince  o f Agusan i s  re p o rte d  to  have one. I t  i s  hoped th a t 
the re s u lts  o f t h is  p resen t C oope ra to r's  Program w i l l  fu r th e r  
s tim u la te  the p r iv a te  sec to rs  to  engage in  the  seed p ro d u c tio n  
ve n tu re .
Spawner C o lle c t io n  and T ra n sp o rt-
Spawners are c o lle c te d  from P angu il and I l ig a n  Bay 
area by fisherm en who operate f is h  c o r ra ls ,  g i l l  ne ts  or 
t ra w lin g .  The g ra v id  females are segregated from the
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non-gravid ones and packed for immediate transport to the 
Naawan Station. Gravid ones are recognized by the presence 
of big dark ovaries. Along the dorsal body axis which could 
be seen if viewed against the light.
Two methods could be employed in packing the spawners 
for transport. One is the dry method using chilled sawdust.
The spawners are kept in suspended animation during transport 
and then revived in the laboratory by placing them in fresh 
seawater. Another is the chilled seawater method where 
spawners are placed inside plastic bags measuring about 
50 x 96 cm. The bags are filled with 3 to 4 liters of fresh 
seawater, charged with oxygen and placed in styrofoam boxes. 
Crushed pieces of ice placed in small plastic bags and wrapped 
in old newspapers are placed in the box to lower the temperature 
of the water in the bags to approximately l8°C to 20°C. This 
condition lowers the metabolic rate of the spawners thereby 
reducing* oxygen intake and minimizing mobility.
Hatchery Operation-
A. Preparation of Hatchery Tanks
The hatchery tanks are thoroughly scrubbed and rinsed 
with fresh seawater and dried for at least two days before 
being used. This will rid of possible harmful organisms that 
may be present in the tank during the previous operation. 
Filtered seawater is then pumped into the tanks to a height
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o f 1 meter and aera ted s u f f ic ie n t ly .  Water i s  taken 130 meters 
from the s h o re lin e  v ia  a s e r ie s  o f c u lv e r t  p ip es . I t  then 
passes through a sed im enta tion  and f i l t e r  tank where i t  is  
f i l t e r e d  th rough la y e rs  o f f in e ly  graded sand and g ra ve l be fore  
i t  i s  sucked by the water pumps. Water i s  again r e f i l t e r e d  
be fore  e n te r in g  the ha tchery  tanks by a secondary f i l t e r  or by 
a p lank ton  n e t.  The f i l t r a t i o n  se t-up  removes course p a r t ic le s  and 
po ss ib le  p re d a to r organisms but re ta in s  the t in y  phytop lankton  
and zooplankton e s s e n t ia l ly  needed as food by the sugpo la rva e  
and post la rv a e . Roots Blowers are used to  aera te  the  water 
through a irs to n e s  or a irfoam s.
B. S tock ing  o f G ravid  Females
The MSU-IFRD ha tchery  tanks are v a r ie d  in  s izes  and 
shapes, thus having d i f fe r e n t  h o ld in g  c a p a c it ie s . The sm all 
re c ta n g u la r tanks have an in d iv id u a l h o ld in g  ca p a c ity  o f 16 to n s ; 
the b ig  re c ta n g u la r tanks 60 tons and the c i r c u la r  tanks , 144 to n s . 
The number o f g ra v id  females to  be used in  the ha tch ing  experim ent 
would th e re fo re  depend on which tank w i l l  be used in  the o p e ra tio n . 
By experience, the 16 ton  tanks re q u ire  from 2 to  4 spawners; 
the  GO ton  tan ks , from ;6-10 spawners; and the 144 ton  c ir c u la r  
tanks , from 15-20 spawners.
C. S paw n ing ,H a tch ing  and L a rv a l Development
Spawning u s u a lly  takes place between 8:00 o 'c lo c k  P.M. 
and 4 :00 o 'c lo c k  A.M. To ge t good spawning re s u lts  a e ra tio n  is
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reduced to the minimum to avoid too much turbulence. Lights 
are shut o ff during the night to simulate darkness of the sea 
bottom where they natura lly spawn. I t  is  either complete or 
p a rt ia l.  Spawning is  considered complete when a l l  the eggs in  
the ovary from the anterior to the posteria l lobes have been 
extruded, and p a rtia l, when there are some eggs le f t  in  any 
of the anterior, median or posterior lobes. Spent females 
are removed from the hatchery tanks the following morning.
C .l Egg Stage
The eggs are spherical and settle  down to the 
bottom of the tanks a fter being extruded. Cell d ivision 
soon follows forming the embryo within the egg membrane. 
About 8 to 10 hours a fte r spawning, the embryo develops 
3 pairs of appendages and exhibits s ligh t convulsive 
movements which become progressively frequent jus t 
before hatching. About 12 to 13 hours a fte r spawning 
the fu lly  developed embryo emerge from i t s  colorless 
and transparent egg membrane as a tin y  nauplius larva.
C.2 Nauplius Stage
The nauplius larvae are capable of swimming by 
beating th e ir three pairs of appendages in a paddling 
fashion, stopping momentarily for a while, then resume 
swimming at random in  a l l  directions. The larvae remain
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in  the nauplius stage for about 48  to 53 hours, molting 
six times throughout the duration of the stage. Each 
stage is  d ifferentia ted from the rest by i ts  own 
d is tinc tive  size and morphological features.
C.3 Zoea Stage
The larvae a fte r passing the sixth nauplius stage 
metamorphose in to the zoea stage. The body of the larvae 
is  considerably elongated. The larvae possess the carapace 
which in i t ia l ly  covers about one-half of the body length 
but gradually tend to reduce proportionally as the length 
of the segmented somites increases. They are three 
substages namely: Zoea I ,  zoea I I ,  and zoea I I I ,  each 
stage being characterized by i t s  own d is tinc tive  morpholo­
gical features. After three moltings within 5 or 6 days 
the larvae metamorphose into the mysis stage.
C.4 Mysis Stage
The larvae in  the mysis stage appear like  tiny  
shrimps with th e ir bodies oriented in  a ve rtica l position, 
the ir heads oriented downwards. They swim downward and 
upward by means by the ir periopods and may dart backward by 
bending the ir abdomen in  successive jerks. During this  
stage buds appear from the ventral side of th e ir bodies
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which progressively grow and develop into the pleopods 
although they are non-functional during th is  stage. After 
3 moltings w ithin 4 to 5 days the larvae transform into 
the post la rva l stage,
C.5 Post Larval Stage
The post larvae appear lik e  miniature adult prawns 
and measure about 0.5 cm during the  f i r s t  day. The 
pleopods or swimmerets which were non-functional during the 
mysis stage are now used for swimming. They remain 
planktonic during the f i r s t  few days a fte r which they 
settle  to the bottom or crawl on the walls of the hatchery 
tanks. Twenty to twenty five days (P20-P25) the f i r s t
post la rva l stage the fry  are now ready for harvest and 
stocking in  the nursery or rearing ponds.
D. Hatchery Management
This implies the caring of the larvae from the time they 
are hatched from the eggs up to the time they are harvested for 
stocking in to  the rearing ponds. There are three main parts 
in  the hatchery management namely: (1) maintenance of good 
water qua lity , (2) maintenance of an adequate supply of food 
in  the hatchery tanks and (5) prevention of water po llu tion.
In  operating the hatchery tanks clear seawater with 
high sa lin ity  (30-31 ppt) is  preferred to assure good
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environmental condition for the developing larvae. In case the 
source is turbid, water is pumped to the reservoir tank to 
allow tiny sand particles to settle down before delivering it 
to the hatchery tanks. Secondary filters or fine nyloon screens 
are fitted to the inlet pipes to trap whatever sand particles 
may be carried after the sedimentation period.
The larvae in the nauplius stage require no feeding as 
they get their nourishment from the yolk contained within their 
bodies. Therefore no food is introduced into the hatchery tanks 
at this stage of larval development. However, when the larvae 
have reached the sixth nauplius stage, food is introduced into 
the tanks so they may be made available to the larvae when they 
transform into the zoea stage. It is during this stage and in 
later subsequent stages where the larvae start to derive their 
nourishment from external source.
There are a variety of food given to the larvae, a great 
majority of them constitute the cultured food organisms. Mixed 
diatoms, which are microscopic plants of the sea, constitute 
one important food in the diet of the zoea larvae. In the 
hatchery operation mixed diatoms are maintained in the hatchery 
tanks until harvest time. Bread yeast is another good substitute 
for diatoms especially when the diatoms fail to bloom in the 
hatchery tanks. In recent experiments a combination of mixed
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diatoms and bread yeast diet proved to be very promising, bread 
yeast being introduced into the hatchery tanks from the zoea 
stage up to early post la rva l stage.
In a  jo in t MSU-SEAFDEC research venture, various 
kinds of food have been tested and found promising. Among them 
are blended eelgrass ju ice, filamentous algae washings, 
sargassum washings and fermented minced clam ju ice . These 
juices and washings contain microorganisms (bacteria, protozoans, 
algae, diatoms) which are u tilize d  by the larvae fo r the ir 
nourishment.
When the mysis stage is  reached the larvae have the 
propensity of feeding on small animals or zooplankton. Hence, 
these food organisms are introduced into the tank at th is  stage 
of la rva l development. Brine shrimp nauplii fed at the rate of 
5 gm/10,000 larvae/day (dry egg weight) give good results in  
terms of la rva l survival. Brachionus sp. a ro t ife r  is  also an 
ideal food for the mysis, but is  introduced into the hatchery 
tank during the early zoea stage to allow i ts  population to 
increase in time for the larvae to change into the mysis stage. 
Small copepods harvested from the sea by using water pump 
and lig h t traps are eaten by the mysis larvae with re lish .
A ll food organisms given to the mysis larvae are also 
fed to the post larvae. However, the introduction of brine 
shrimp/nauplii is  stopped during P3 or P4 stage to cut on the
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cost of food. This is  substituted by minced clam which w il l  then 
constitute the main bulk of th e ir diet u n t il harvest time.
The success of each hatchery operation rests on forming 
an environmental or ecological balance in the hatchery tank. 
•Inadequate food would lead to starvation that could exact heavy 
m ortality on the population of the larvae. On the other hand, 
too much food would resu lt to accumulation of sediments on the 
bottom of the tank and cause water po llu tion . To anticipate 
such problems, draining and addition of fresh seawater is  carried 
on daily usually starting during late zoea or early mysis stage 
u n t il harvest time. Periodic checks on the chemistry of the 
water are done to determine i f  c r it ic a l factors related to water 
po llu tion are present. Phytoplankton and zooplankton counts 
are analyzed daily to giver an appraisal on the status of food 
in  the tank. Larval population is  estimated daily to get the, 
percentage survival trend at the same time give an index of 
estimating the food to be introduced into the hatchery tank.
A ll these factors in tr ic a te ly  interwoven in the hatchery tank 
are considered in  order to have a good hatchery management.
D .l Culture and Preparation of Food Organisms
1. Mixed diatoms - fresh seawater containing small 
quantity of diatoms is  pumped in to diatom culture 
tanks. They are fe r t iliz e d  daily with 2.0 ppm Na N03 
(or KNO3) , 0.2 ppm FeCl 3, 0.2 ppm K2HPO4, 1.0 ppm
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Na2SiO3 and 1.0 ppm Clewat u n til they atta in 
blooming peaks usually from three to four days 
(without s ta rte r diatoms).
2. Brachionus culture - s tarte r brachionus could 
be obtained from fishponds or by fermenting 
crushed crabs in suitable containers. The starte r 
brachionus can now be allowed to propagate in
big tanks by feeding than with chlore lla or bread 
yeast (10 gm/ton/day) or both. Suitable aeration 
should be insta lled  in the culture tanks.
3. Chlorella culture - s tarte r chlore lla stock could 
be obtained from mud pools. The water appears 
greenish i f  they are abundant in the water. This 
starte r chlore lla  is subjected to gradual 
acclimatization u n til the stock becomes adjusted 
to pure seawater. This stock culture can Tien
be mass-propagated in big tanks by fe r t i l iz in g  them 
with inorganic fe r t i l iz e r .  F e rtilize rs  used are 
Ca.(PO4)2 ( l00.0ppm), Urea (2.0 ppm), FeCl3
(0. 2 ppm), K2HPO4 (0.2) and Clewat ( l . 0 ppm). 
F e rtiliza tio n  hastens the growth and reproduction 
o f these un ice llu la r plants making the water 
intensely green when they reach blooming peaks.
When blooming peeks are reached they are harvested
- 12 -
and fed to the brachionus culture.
4. Brine Shrimp Culture - This requires a culture 
separator tank and u tilize s  the positive 
phototactic behavior o f the brine shrimp naup lii.
The culture-separator tank has a pa rtition  with 
holes about 2 inches from the bottom floo r and 
plugged with rubber stoppers. The culture and 
separator compartments are f i l le d  with  seawater 
and freshwater in a 2 to 1 proportion. Brine 
shrimp eggs are placed inside the culture compart­
ment and aerated vigorously. The eggs hatched into 
nauplii in about 24 to 36 hours.
The aeration is  shut o ff  to allow the water 
to become s t i l l .  Under th is  condition, the unhatched 
eggs and shells se ttle  to the bottom and those 
non-viable and hitherto lig h t eggs floa t and 
concentrate on the water surface. The culture 
compartment is  then covered with black cloth to 
create a dark condition inside. Then the rubber 
stoppers are unplugged from the pa rtition  to allow 
the nauplii to swim to the other side by lig h t 
attraction leaving the shells and unhatched eggs 
behind. When the nauplii are already separated
-13-
from the eggs the partition is resealed again 
and the nauplii harvested and concentrated. They 
are fed to the mysis and early post larvae in 
the hatchery tanks. 
5. Bread yeast - The required dosage 2 gm/ton/feeding 
three times daily is weighed and fermented in 
fresh water for about 12 hours. This is then 
divided into three parts and feed to the larvae at 
a specific time interval.
6. Minced clam - The clam meat is thoroughly cleaned 
v/ith fresh seawater to remove the slimy juices.
It is fed to a blender to mascerate the tissues. 
This mascerated or minced clam meat is washed 
again several times until all the remaining juices 
are removed. Then it is stocked in the freezer.
In feeding the post larvae a weighed portion 
of the minced clam is reblended until the desired 
size of particles is attained. The time for 
reblending depends on the size and stage of the 
post larvae.


Sugpo fry production at MSU-IFRD

Vicente, Helen Jamboy

Nutritional requirements of sugpo in hatchery and in ponds

Tan, Santiago P.

PRE-MARKET TREATMENT AND MARKETING OF SUGPO
by 
Santiago P. Tan
PREPARATION
Before h a rve s tin g  your sugpo ,p repara tion  o f 
m a te r ia ls  l i k e  c o n ta in e r and s u f f ic ie n t  ic e  i s  necessary. 
The co n ta in e r must be a i r t ig h t  to  m inim ize the ra p id  m e ltin g  
o f  the ic e  and conserve i t s  coo lness. I t  must be made o f wood 
or plywood or G .I .  (ga lvan ized  Iro n )  in s u la te d  w ith  styro foam .
Ic in g  should be done im m ediate ly a f te r  weighing the 
shrim ps. Avoid exposure o f the shrimps to  the heat o f the 
sun. I t  causes d e te r io ra t io n  and thus produce poor q u a li ty  
p rodu c t. The shrimps should be placed in  prepared c h i l le d  
water be fo re  the f in a l  packing.
In  packing the shrim ps, ic e  should be cracked in to  
sm a ll p ieces to  have a b e tte r  con tac t w ith  the la y e r o f 
shrim ps. A co n ta in e r o f 15-20 k i lo s  ca p a c ity  w i l l  be 
convenient in  hand ling  and tra n s p o r t in g  to  the s i te  o f the 
fa c to ry  or m arket.
Th is  p re p a ra tio n  im m ediate ly fo llo w in g  ha rvest is  
very  im po rta n t to  m a in ta in  the freshness o f  the  p rodu c t.
-2 -
MANUFACTURING PROCESS
Tbs moment the ice d  shrimps a r r iv e  in  the fa c to ry  o r the  
processing p la n t the shrimps are re-weighed and washed w ith  
co ld  or c h i l le d  w a te r. A f te r  weighing and re co rd in g  the same, 
the  head o f the  shrimp is  removed com p le te ly . T h is  process 
should be done i f  the  product is  in tended fo r  e x p o rt. Th is 
i s  done to  m in im ize cost o f m a te r ia ls  fo r  pack ing , cost o f 
t ra n s p o r ta t io n , and to  keep the p roduct lon ge r in  s to rage .
The next step a f te r  removing the head is  another 
washing, us ing  co ld  o r c h i l le d  w ate r. Cold o r c h i l le d  water 
is  used in  washing the shrimps so th a t i t  w i l l  no t be sub jected  
to  sudden change o f tem pera tu re , as th is  w i l l  a f fe c t  the 
q u a l i ty  o f the p rodu c ts . A f te r  washing the headless shrimps 
are c la s s i f ie d  and so rted  accord ing to  s izes  o r g roup ing . 
Two k ilog ram s o f headless shrimps o f the same s ize s  or 
grouping is  p laced in  each t r a y .  The t i n  t ra y  i s  cons truc ted  
t o ho ld  a t le a s t two k ilog ram s o f headless shrimps and i t s  dimension 
is  made to  f i t  to  s ize  o f the inner-waxed boxes fo r  system atic  ha nd lin g  
and packaging. The arrangement o f the headless shrimps in  the 
t ra y  should fee made so th a t the  bottom and topmost la y e rs  o f the 
shrimps appear and the t a i l  ends are in  the cen te r o f the t ra y  
w h ile  the shrimp meaty p o r t io n  (s e c tio n  where the head is  
separated from the body) is  p laced fa c in g  outwards.
-3 -
The arrangement is  made, so th a t when the ic e  b lock  is  formed 
w ith  the headless shrimps they can s t i l l  be e a s ily  seen a t the 
two side o f the eyes b lo c k . The q u a li ty  and freshness o f 
shrimp frozen  p ro d u c ts  can then be e a s ily  determ ined v is u a l ly ,  
by ju s t  lo o k in g  a t bo th  s ides o f the ic e  b locks where the 
shrimps are encased.
A f te r  p la c in g  and a rrang ing  the  two k ilog ram s o f 
headless shrimps o f un ifo rm  s izes  and same grouping in  each 
t r a y ,  the shrimps are pressed to  le v e l i t s  c o n te n t, us ing 
e ith e r  the hands or the bottom o f another t r a y .  Only the 
bottom and top most la y e rs  are arranged s y s te m a tic a lly , le a v in g  
the m iddle p o r t io n ,  a t random arrangem ent. When a l l  the 
headless shrimps are a lready  arranged and placed in  the t r a y ,  
accord ing to  s ize  and group ings, the t ra y  are sub jected to  
qu ick  fre e z in g  to  -30 to  -40°C. tem perature fo r  one. hour. 
Quick fre e z in g  i s  made to  k i l l  o r d e -a c tiv a te  most o f the 
b a c te r ia  in  the shrim ps, Lower b a c te r ia l count, a lso  enhances 
the p re se rva tio n  and re ta in s  the freshness o f the frozen 
p rodu c t.
A f te r  one hour o f qu ids fre e z in g  a t -30 to  40°C, the 
tra y s  are removed and f i l l e d  w ith  co ld  o r c h i l le d  water on the 
to p , le v e l o f the shrim ps, and q u ic k -fro z e n  again fo r  another 
one hour a t 40°C. A sm a ll ic e  b lock  w ith  headless shrimps
- 4-
encased i s  formed in s id e  the t r a y . By sudden immersion in  the 
o rd in a ry  tap w a te r, the ic e  b lock  thus formed can be e a s ily  
removed from the  t r a y ,  and th is  is  placed in s id e  the p la s t ic  
f i lm  be fore  p la c in g  the same in  the inner-waxed ca rtoon .
M arking as to  s ize  assortm ent should be made on the 
ou te r cove ring  o f the in n e r waxed-boxes. These boxes, w ith  
two k ilog ram  shrimps co n te n t, are placed in  a b ig ge r or 
ou te r cartoon w ith  10 boxes cap a c ity  or 20 k ilog ram s in  to t a l  
con ta in  o f shrimp w e igh t. Markings are also made accord ing to  
s izes  assortm ent or groupings o f the 10 boxes in s id e .
A f te r  s e a lin g  the cartoons using the p la s t ic  s e a le r, 
they are placed in s id e  the co ld  storage having minus 15-20 
degrees c e n tig ra d e . Th is  complete the processing up to  
packaging, and the  fin ish ed  frozen  products are ready to  
be shipped by boa t, having r e f r ig e r a t io n  u n i t ,  to  d e s t in a t io n .
WHOLE AND HEADLESS FROZEN SHRIMPS
For domestic m arketing  o f frozen  shrim ps, the shrimps 
are frozen  as a whole p iece or w ith  head-on. The d iffe re n c e  
i s  th a t fo r  export market shrimps are marketed headless, 
w h ile  fo r  lo c a l consumption and inasmuch as the F i l ip in o s  
p re fe r  to  pa rtake  th e i r  shrimps in  whole p ie ce , these are so ld  
w ith  head-on. Th is  food preference is  always taken in to  
c o n s id e ra tio n  in  the domestic m arke ting  o f frozen  shrim ps,
-5 -
On the o the r hand, the Japan export market p re fe rs  th a t th e ir  
frozen  shrimps be headless due to  the economy o f hand ling  and 
tra n s p o r ta t io n . Here the  purpose is  more on economic expediency 
and le ss  on food p re fe rence .
CLASSIFICATION OF FROZEN SHRIMP IN THE EXPORT MARKET
In  the export m arket, the headless shrimps are grouped 
accord ing to  th e i r  s iz e s . As p ra c tic e d , the frozen  shrimps are 
c la s s if ie d  as fo llo w s :
B lack T ig e r (Sugpo) White Shrimps
U-1 0  p c s /lb  21-25 p c s . / lb
10-15 p c s /lb  26-30 p c s . / lb
16-20 p c s /lb  31 -40 p c s /lb
21-25 p c s /lb  41-50 p c s . / lb
26-30 p c s /lb  51- 60 p c s . / lb
31 -40 p c s / lb  61-70 p c s . / lb
41-50 p c s / lb  71-80 p c s /lb
For i l l u s t r a t i o n  — in  the c la s s i f ic a t io n  under 10, 
i t  means th a t to  make one k ilog ram  o f headless shrim ps, the 
number o f p ieces o f same s ize  should no t be more than 10 p ieces . 
A pprox im ate ly  one headless shrimp weighs more than 100 grams.
PERCENTAGE OF MEaT ON HEADLESS PRAWN WHEN PROCESSED
Head p a r t ------------------ • 35%
Body meat p o r t io n ---------- 65%
T o ta l 100%
I f  the prawn weighs 100 grams, the body p a rt weighs on ly  
65 grams and the head p a r t ,  35 grams.
WASTE DISPOSALS
What i s  to  be disposed o f i s  the estim ated 35% head p o r t io n  
o f the shrim ps. Th is  p o r t io n  is  c o lle c te d , d r ie d  and so ld  as p ro te in  
feed supplement, o r make in to  P a tis  o r in to  shrimp kropeck, 
depending on which o f fe rs  a good economic re tu rn .


Pre-market treatment and marketing of sugpo

Lopez, Juan V.

PRESENT STATUS AND PROBLEMS OF 
PRAWN CULTURE IN THE PHILIPPINES
by
Juan V. Lopez
AREA AND SCOPE. The t o t a l  area s u ita b le  fo r  prawn c u ltu re  
development in  the  P h ilip p in e s  is  about 176,032. 10 hectares 
(bangos fishpond c o n v e r t ib le  to  shrim p fa rm ). About 400,890 
hectares o f  b rack ishw a te r t id a l  coves, sh e lte re d  bays, and mangrove 
swamps aw a it p o ss ib le  (BFAR S ta t is t ic s  1973) development.
Some o f the  known species o f  shrim p found in  bangos f is h -  
ponds a re : Penaeus m erguiensis (h ipon  p u t i ) ,  P. monodon (sugpo), 
F. sem isu lcatus and Metapenaeus monoceros (h ipon s u a h i) .
MANPOWER. Per in fo rm a tio n  and s t a t is t ic s  o f  the  Bureau o f 
F is h e rie s  and A qua tic  Resources, the  number o f  fishpond o p e ra to rs , 
pond ca re take rs  and o th e r persons in vo lve d  in  fishpond o p e ra tio n  
is  about 176,000 people (based on 1 man/ha). The average ra te  
o f annual increase o f  persons engaged in  fishpond  corresponds 
to  the  increase o f  fishponds being developed.
FIELD AND PRODUCTION. The estim ated t o t a l  y ie ld  o f  ponds 
from the n a tu ra l p rodu c tion  o f  shrim p is  about 50 k g /h a /y r .  How­
ever, e n te rp r is in g  bangos fishpond  opera to rs  have been producing 
about 500 k g /h a /y r  o f sugpo and o th e r species o f  shrim ps.
SOURCES OF SEEDS AND CULTURE METHODS. The seed s to ck  comes 
from the  n a tu ra l e s tu a rin e  areas. These are c a rr ie d  by t id a l  
cu rre n ts  in to  the  b rack ishw a te r and t id a l  r iv e r s ,  streams and 
creeks. F ry concessioners and ca tchers  ga ther d i f fe r e n t  s iz es 
o f  f r y  and ju v e n ile  stages o f  sugpo and shrim ps. These are tra n s ­
po rted  in  p la s t ic  bag conta in e rs  w ith  oxygen and brought to  f is h ­
pond cen te rs*
The known sugpo f r y  f is h in g  grounds a re : Dasol Bay in  
Pangasinan, Ternate in  C a v ite , Balayan and Calatagan in  Batangas, 
Calauag and A loneros, Tagkawayan in  Quezon P rov ince , I l o i l o  C ity ,  
Panguil Bay in  Lanao de l N orte , Sibuguey Bay in  Zamboanga de l 
Sur, and Zamboanga C ity .
The t r a d i t io n a l  method o f  re a r in g  prawn in  ponds is  to  
gather the  ju v e n ile  and f r y  stage from the  e s ta u rin e  areas. These 
are u s u a lly  grown w ith  Bangos, Samaral (T eu th is  s p .)  and /o r K itang  
( Scatophagus s p . ) .  The s to ck in g  ra te  o f  sugpo ranges from 5 , 000 
to  10,000 f r y  per h e c ta re . They grow to  m arketable s iz e  (15-30 
pcs/kg ) in  about 5 to  7 months in  the re a r in g  pond w ith  lumot 
and/o r la b l ab as food . M o r ta l i ty  ra te  ranges from 30 to  50% during  
the  growing p e rio d . However, some fishpond  opera to rs  c la im  70-80% 
s u rv iv a l i f  ponds are p ro p e rly  managed wh i le  o the rs  may loss  en­
t i r e l y  t h e i r  s to ck  o r  with n e g lig ib le  s u rv iv a l du ring  the  ra in y  sea­
son (n a lo lo s a o ) .
In  a re cen t f ie ld  te s t  on the  ra te  o f  growth o f  sugpo in  
b rack ishw ate r pond, t h i r t y  thousand (30,000) f r y  were stocked: 
in  a hecta re  compartment w ith  f a i r  growth o f  la b - la b  and lumot .  
In  a d d it io n  40,000 bangos f in g e r l in g s  (30 mm-35 mm) were a lso  
reared in  the  same pond. A f te r  a month o f  re a r in g  in  th e  1 h e c t­
are compartment a cu t along th e  d ike  o f  an a d jo in in g  compartment 
(3 he c ta re s ) was undertaken. Th is increased the  area o f  r ea ring  to  
4 h e c ta re s . In  about 3 months growing p e rio d , 10 samples were 
measured (see Table l ) .  The maximum and minimum leng th  and w eigh t 
were 213 mm & 117 mm and 8 l .2  grams & 12.5 grams re s p e c tiv e ly  and 
w ith  an average w e igh t o f  41.84 gm. Th is p re lim in a ry  f i e l d  te s t  
was made to  determ ine p o ss ib le  d e ta ile d  s tudy on the  c u ltu re  o f 
sugpo in  b rack ishw a te r pond.
The cost o f sugpo f r y  ranges from ₱ 0 . 08 to  ₱ 0.15 depending 
on the  source and abundance o f  su p p ly .
M arketable s iz e  sugpo costs  ₱ 25.00 to  ₱ 35 .00 /kg in  the  M anila  
markets and suburbs w h ile  h ipon p u t i  and h ipon suahi cost ₱ 12-₱ 15/ 
kg and ₱ l6 - ₱ 20 /kg , re s p e c t iv e ly .
PROBLEMS. The problems confronting prawn culture develop­
ment in the Philippines are similar to those of the countries 
developing shrimp culture, particularly in Southeast Asia as 
follows:
a) Meager information and expertise
b) dearth of trained technical men (shrimp culturist) and
c) timid flow and/or lack of financial resources.
It is sad to note that inspite of the favorable climate and 
environmental conditions mother nature has endowed to our country, 
no real shrimp culture project has been developed as yet. The 
SEAFDEC Shrimp Research Project at Tigbauan, Iloilo and the MSU 
Shrimp Laboratory (with financial aid from NSDB) at Naawan, Mis­
amis Oriental are the two institutions pioneering in the mass 
production of prawn fry. In addition, some private institutions 
are now engaged in research and field test on the commercial 
production of cultivable species of shrimp.
Table 1. Measurement o f  Sugpo (P.  monodon) Reared in  a B ra ck ish - 
w ater Pond Near Ragay G u lf from August to  November 10, 
1974
Sample 
Number
Length 
mm
Depth 
mm
Weight 
gm Sex
1 213 30 81.2 M
2 210 29 76.2 F
3 182 25 48.5 M
4 190 26 54.9 F
5 l8 l 26 50.0 F
6 150 20 26.9 M
7 140 19 22.0 M
8 140 20 22.5 F
9 145 19 23.7 M
10 117 15 12.5 F
T o ta l 1669 229 418.49
Average 166.8 22.9 41.849


Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center

Not a member yet

Diseases and other causes of mortalities of sugpo in the hatchery and in ponds

Sugpo fry production at MSU-IFRD

Nutritional requirements of sugpo in hatchery and in ponds

Pre-market treatment and marketing of sugpo

Present status and problems of prawn culture in the Philippines

1,862

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