Shellfish Breeding and Hatchery Management (2+1)

16.1.2 Crab hatchery

For crab seed production, following are the components required:

a) Brood stock development unit

b) Hatching unit

c) Larval rearing unit

d) Live feed culture unit

To obtain mature and berried females for breeding, adult crabs of both sexes can be stocked in earthen ponds and indoor tanks. The sizes of the specimens stocked must be 150-175 mm for males and 150-170 mm for females. The male and female ratio at stocking can be 2:3. The female crabs can be subjected to unilateral eyestalk ablation. The duration of broodstock rearing should be from 120 to 135 days.

In the indoor tanks pre mating embrace copulatory moult and the mating process will last for 48 hours. A month after mating, berried crabs can be obtained.

The same female crab can become berried three times with an interval of one month between spawning.