Coastal Aquaculture and Mariculture

Unit 6- Crustaceans

6.5.2. Utilization
The exosckeleton of stomatopods is useful for the production of chitin and chitosan which are useful in chemistry, biochemistry, medicine (antibiotics), pharmacology, enzymology, microbiology, biotechnology, agriculture, nutrition, food science (baby foods), biopolymers etc. Many species of stomatopods are ornately coloured as red, blue, green, etc with deep mottling and are considered as ornamental organisms. They are used as good protein supplements in compounded feeds of shrimps. They contain 80% protein (on dry weight basis). They are used as manure and raw material for poultry feed. Stomatopods are used as delicious food items In Japan, Philippines, and China and in some Mediterranean countries.