The effect of maturation diets on the reproductive output of the white-striped cleaner shrimp, Lysmata amboinensis

Aquaculture production of the cleaner shrimp Lysmata amboinensis, a high-valued marine ornamental, has been problematic because of prolonged larval development punctuated by periods of mortality. Broodstock maturation diets have been shown to affect fecundity and offspring quality and early survival. The common practice in shrimp culture is the use of fresh frozen foods supplemented with artificial diets. The objective of the study was to identify a suitable maturation diet (natural or artificial) for L. amboinensis. Six diets, comprised of squid, mussel, adult Artemia, a commercial feed, and combinations of the aforementioned, were fed to L. amboinensis for four reproductive cycles. Broodstock fed the squid–mussel diet lost a large proportion of the eggs during incubation, with decreased larval production (P < 0.05). In contrast, broodstock fed Artemia retained the highest proportion of the egg mass; however, hatchability was poor, resulting in low larval numbers per hatch. The Artemia and squid–mussel diets produced significantly fewer larvae than the combination or commercial diets (P < 0.05). In L. amboinensis, a maturation diet consisting of natural feeds alone resulted in poor reproductive performance and partial or complete replacement with an artificial diet was feasible.