Shellfish Breeding and Hatchery Management (2+1)

16.1.1 Broodstock rearing

The berried females (females carrying eggs) can be either collected from the natural ground or raised in a pond so that breeders shall be available as and when required. Berried females with yellow eggs mature to grey eggs within 5-7 days and it can be fed on squid meat twice daily. Feeding can be done with trash fish at @ 5% body weight which can be increased to 10% towards the latter part of rearing period of 4 months, when chopped trash fish along with bivalve or gastropod meat is provided. From the culture ponds either berried females are collected or to induce gonadal maturation unilateral eyestalk ablation of females can also be done. Within 15 days from the time of eyestalk ablation, females can be obtained for hatchery use. In some attempts eye stalk ablation just after moulting was also tried, but with limited success.