Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
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Updates on the larviculture of mud crab at SEAFDEC/AQD
Abstract only.Although the mud crab (Scylla serrata) hatchery technology has been developed, issues such as high cost of production due to the need for additional facilities and labor for natural food culture, inconsistent survival rate at megalopa stage due to Molt Death Syndrome (MDS), and disease due to luminescent bacteria (Vibrio spp.), remain to be addressed. Refinements on the existing mud crab larviculture technology were done to address these problems.
Poor nutrition, low water temperature and application of prophylaxis during the zoea l stage have been identified as possible causes of MDS. Six shrimp formulated diets (FD) were tested, and 3 of these proved to be suitable for mud crab larvicuture. Larval performance was compared using the 3 diets + natural food (NF, rotifers and Artemia) and NF alone as control. No significant difference was noted in the survival among the 4 treatments, although BP Nippai fed larvae had higher values. Lesser occurrence of MDS was observed in all the larvae fed FD+NF. Three mud crab larval diets with various attractants (squid, annelids, and squid + annelids) were also formulated and fed to the larvae. Results showed no significant difference among the 3 diets. The results of another experiment investigating the effects of the reduction of natural food showed that larvae fed 50% NF + 50% FD and 75%NF + 25% FD had higher survival compared to those fed 75% AD +25% NF and no NF at all. The results indicate that the larvae cannot survive with formulated diet alone. It has been observed that frequency of antibiotic application can be reduced to every 5 days if good quality mud crab larvae are used. Formalin stress test proved to be a reliable method to determine the quality of a batch of newly hatched zoeae. All prophylactic treatments are stopped when megalopae reach the benthic stage.
To accelerate the dissemination of science-based mud crab hatchery technology to industry stakeholders, SEAFDEC/AQD entered into an agreement with private hatchery operators, State Universities and Colleges, and Local Government Units on giving assistance during initial hatchery operations. Technicians were given free training, followed by in-situ hatchery operations with assistance from SEAFDEC/AQD with the funding from PCAARRD-DOST. Crablets are now being produced by the collaborators. Increase in the production of hatchery-reared crablets will eventually reduce the dependence on wild-sourced mud crab seed stock for farming
Diseases affecting wild and farmed mud crab in the Philippines
Mortalities due to cannibalism and diseases have been reported as major problems in the grow-out phase of mud crab production. This study aimed to identify and describe diseases affecting farmed and wild mud crab (mangrove crab) including predisposing, risk and protective factors, and possible prevention and control measures. A total of 767 wild and farmed mud crab samples were collected. External examination showed abnormalities such as short abdominal flap, discoloration of the abdominal region, darker carapace, lesions on carapace, claws and legs, and presence of epibionts like algae and the barnacles Balanus sp. on the carapace. Internally, necrotic, black and brown gills, and discolored gonads were observed. Stalked barnacles, Octolasmis spp., were observed in the gills. White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) was detected in 14 samples sourced from farms and Infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV) in 2 wild samples. WSSV was implicated in mortality cases. Low temperature and presence of WSSV positive shrimp were identified as risk factors for WSSV infection or outbreak. Pathogenicity tests for some isolated bacteria suggested that these may cause mortality in mud crab under stressful conditions. To prevent mortality due to WSSV infection, it is recommended to avoid polyculture of mud crab with shrimp and/or other crustaceans
Morphological deformities in mud crab Scylla serrata juveniles exposed to antibiotics during the larval stage
Abstract only.The effects of antibiotics on the survival, growth and external deformities of mud crab Scylla serrata larvae and juveniles were determined. Zoeae were exposed to 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 mgL-1 oxytetracycline (OTC) and 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 mgL-1 furazolidone (furan) until the late megalopa in the first and second experiments. The treatments that gave the best results in the first and second experiments were conducted simultaneously in the third experiment. The surviving crab instar from each replicate were grown in nursery tanks for one month.
Significantly higher survival and faster growth rate of Z5 were attained when 3 and 6 mgL-1 OTC or 0.5 and 1 mgL-1 furan were used. Morphological deformities observed in zoea 5 were bent dorsal, rostral and furcal spines. Percentage occurrence of morphological deformities was similar in all treatments. Significantly (P-1 OTC and 0.5 mL-1 furan in the third experiment. Morphological deformities observed in juveniles were fused frontal and lateral spines, asymmetrical and depressed tip of abdominal flap and gap between sternites. High percentage of deformities was observed in juveniles that were previously exposed to 6 mgL-1 OTC or 1.0 mgL-1 furan. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) observed in the survival of juveniles in both treatments of OTC and furan. However, growth was significantly (P<0.05) faster in lower concentrations of the two antibiotics.
The study shows the apparent negative effects of antibiotics and highlights the need to eliminate or find alternatives, thereby preventing possible harm to the organisms and the environment
Nursery culture of mud crab Scylla serrata fed diets supplemented with trytophan at two stocking densities
Abstract only.Cannibalism has been recognized as one of the major problems in crab culture. The use of dietary tryptophan (TRP) that has been reported to reduce cannibalism in crabs under laboratory conditions was verified in pond nursery culture at two stocking densities. The first phase used hatchery-produced early crab instar. After 3-4 weeks, survivors were sorted and the small size crabs were further reared in the second phase. Crabs were stocked in 12-m2 net cages installed in brackishwater pond and fed three times daily at 0830, 1300 and 1630 h. The feeding scheme used was a combination of mussel meat (M) and formulated diet (FD) at 30:70 ratio. The original FD contained 45% crude protein (used in Experiment 1, 2 and 3) that was lowered to 40% crude protein in the new basal diet used in the succeeding experiment. The two TRP-supplemented diets had 0.5% and 0.7% TRP levels. Results showed that the TRP-supplemented feeds did not give consistent results in terms of growth and feed conversion ratio, indicating that the original basal diet (0.4% TRP and 45% crude protein) or the new basal diet (0.4% TRP and 40% crude protein) were sufficient to be used together with mussel meat as feed for crab juveniles. Higher survival rates were obtained at 50 m-2 (phase 1) and 10 m-2 (phase 2) than at 30 m-2 and 5 m-2 stocking density, respectively. All trial runs produced positive returns on investment
Capacity building initiatives of Winrock International on mud crab culture in the Caraga Region
The paper presents the output of the capacity building initiatives of Winrock International on Mud crab culture in the Caraga Region, Philippines. The capacity building seminar included lectures on the mud crab biology, pond preparation, nursery and grow-out culture, fattening, and soft-shell crab farming. Identification of the various crab body parts, actual pond preparation, nursery and grow-out culture of crab were demonstrated after the series of lectures
Temporal changes in innate immunity parameters, epinecidin gene expression, and mortality in orange-spotted grouper, Epinephelus coioides experimentally infected with a fish pathogen, Vibrio harveyi JML1
Changes in innate immunity parameters and epinecidin mRNA transcript levels were examined to characterize the non-specific immune response of E. coioides to pathogenic V. harveyi JML1 isolated from affected cage-cultured fish. After fish had been injected with bacteria at a dose causing 30% mortality, blood and tissue samples were collected at 0, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, and 240 h post-infection (hpi) for assessment of indices such as the oxidative burst (OB) and phagocytic index (PI) of head kidney cells, and lysozyme activity (LYS) and total immunoglobulin (Total Ig) levels of the plasma. The epinecidin mRNA transcript levels (EGE) from skin, gills, liver, kidney, and spleen tissues were also determined by gelbased RT-PCR. Lastly, daily mortality (DM), liver total bacterial load (TBC), and presumptive Vibrio count (TVC) were monitored up to 240 hpi. The results revealed that bacteria proliferated rapidly in fish tissue, reaching peak densities at 24 hpi for both TBC and TVC but was on a downward trend thereafter. The pattern in fish mortality closely correlated with TBC and TVC. Total Ig, OB, and PI in E. coioides were suppressed in the early part of infection when V. harveyi load was high but recovered and later increased as bacterial density declined. LYS and EGE were consistently high and their activities were not hampered by bacterial infection. The study demonstrated that V. harveyi JML1 interacts with E. coioides by transiently inhibiting some immune parameters resulting in mortalities. However, consistently high LYS, upregulated EGE, and resurgent PI, OB and Total Ig conferred resistance and subsequent recovery in the fish. The study provides new insights on the interaction between E. coioides and V. harveyi JML1 that can aid in formulating health management strategies for groupers. Further studies on prophylactic interventions to enhance the innate immune response in grouper during infection with V. harveyi JML1 are suggested.This study was supported by SEAFDEC/AQD under Study Code 5203-T-RD-FH0510. The assistance of the Fish Health Section Staff is gratefully acknowledged
Mortality of pond-cultured Litopenaeus vannamei associated with acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) and white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infection in the Philippines
Mortalities of up to 60% were observed in pond-cultured Litopenaeus vannamei in Bohol, Philippines. Histopathological examination revealed typical acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) pathology. PCR test generated 1,269 bp and 230 bp amplicons confirmative for the toxin-producing AHPND strain of Vibrio parahaemolyticus among shrimp sampled from eight ponds. The same samples were subjected to PCR analyses for the presence of other viruses, namely WSSV, IHHNV, IMNV, and TSV. The samples were negative for the viruses except WSSV, which was detected after one-step PCR in six out of eight ponds. These results suggested that shrimp were infected dually with AHPND V. parahaemolyticus and WSSV
Development of integrated multi-trophic aquaculture using sea cucumber
In Southeast Asian countries, aquaculture production continues to increase. Environmental deterioration associated with water and sediment eutrophication by aquaculture effluent has been problematic, sometimes resulting in disease outbreaks and fish kills due to hypoxia and hydrogen sulfide poisoning. Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) is one of the promising measures for sustainable aquaculture. In this study, a box model estimation of nitrogen (N) budget based on experimental data and values from literature was made for a system of sandfish (Holothuria scabra) in sea cage IMTA with milkfish (Chanos chanos) and Elkhorn sea moss (Kappaphycus alvarezii).
Information on stocking density, stocking size, mortality, growth, feed ration, feed assimilation, NH4-N production and NH4-N absorption of these species was obtained from a series of experiments and existing literature. In the production system 26 g milkfish were cultured in a 5 x 5 x 4 m cage at the stocking density of 36.7 ind/m3 with the initial feeding ration of 10% of body weight which was gradually decreased to 4% over time; 10 g sandfish were cultured in a cage with the same bottom area as milkfish cage hanged under the milkfish cage to trap particulate N waste (i.e. feces and leftover feed) at the stocking density of 35 ind/m2; the stocking weight of Elkhorn sea moss line culture was 10 kg; culturing period was 200 days.
It was estimated that milkfish culture cumulatively produced 145 kg of particulate N, and milkfish and sandfish together produced 60 kg of NH4-N in 200 days of culture. Daily assimilation rate of the particulate N by sandfish ranged 3.4 - 12.4%, and 4.3% of the particulate N was estimated to be removed by sandfish in 200 days of culture. Daily absorption rate of NH4-N by Elkhorn sea moss increased exponentially with time and reached 100% after 125 days of culture. Cumulative NH4-N was estimated to be depleted after 162 days of culture. For complete utilization of particulate N by the end of culture, sandfish stocking density should be 805 ind/m2, which is 200 times as high as that in existing sandfish aquaculture operations
Philippine National Standard for Live Mud Crabs: establishing food safety and quality requirements
The Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS) of the Department of Agriculture (DA), in collaboration with the relevant government and research agencies, academe and industry organization, is currently developing the Philippine National Standard (PNS) for live mangrove crabs (also known as mud crabs). This PNS defines the food safety and quality requirements for live mangrove crabs in order to ensure consumers&rsquo; health and make the product globally competitive. The process in the development of standards include review of the existing requirements of local and foreign markets and internationally recognized standards, creation of the Technical Working Group, initial drafting of the PNS, conduct of public consultations in major production areas, finalization of the draft for the PNS, notification to the World Trade Organization and approval of the DA Secretary.
The PNS for live mangrove crabs specifies the scope of the standard, product description, essential composition and quality factors, hygiene, handling, labeling requirements, methods of sampling, examination and analysis, definition of defectives, and the requirements for product lot acceptance