EFFECT OF THE SEXUAL PROPORTION ON REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF PINK SHRIMP Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis (DECAPODA: PENAEOIDEA)

Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis is a native species in Brazilian coast. It is one of the most exploited marine resources. In order to contribute to the development of techniques to promote the rearing their cultivation, the objective of this study was to evaluate the pink shrimp reproductive performance in captivity under different sex ratios. Breeders were captured in Sepetiba Bay/Brazil and maintained during 107 days in maturation tanks. One hundred and eight animals were randomly distributed into tanks 18 in the proportions 1:1 and 1:2 (M:F). Females have undergone unilateral ablation and identified by markings on their uropods. The evaluation of the reproductive performance was estimated by the number of spawning, fecundity and hatching rate. It was determined optimal size (32,00 mm CL) and minimum weight (24,00 g LW) for reproduction in females. The better fertility and nauplii hatching indicate that the sex ratio 1:2 is most suitable for this species.