A MASS FEARING SYSTEM FOR THE CULTURE OF BRACHYURAN CRAB LARVAE¹

Abstract

A system has been designed and evaluated for mass rearing of brachyuran crab larvae. Cancer magister larvae were reared through five developmental stages without the use of antibiotics. The physical design which may be flow‐through or recirculating emphasizes low maintenance and unlimited scale‐up potential. The system concept involves a slow upwelling water column which tends to offset passive sinking and creates a constant flowing, well oxygenated, growing environment. The system and evaluation study will be discussed.

The Biology, Ecology and Fishery of the Dungeness crab, Cancer magister

“…successfully metamorphosed, and when diatoms (Skeletonema sp.) were added to the diet, survival was >88%; however, if brine shrimp concentration exceeded 5 shrimp ml À1 , then survival of zoea decreased (Gaumer, 1971;Hartman, 1977). The larvae of C. magister are capable of feeding in the dark, suggesting they are not ocular hunters (Sulkin et al, 1998a).…”