Prawn breeding and post larvae production

Prawn larvae are produced in hatcheries from pond-reared spawners or broodstock collected from wild populations. The majority of these spawners are gonadally mature and when transferred to the hatchery will spawn in response to environmental manipulation or eyestalk ablation.

Kuruma females will produce up to 800,000 eggs per 100g of body weight. The eggs are hatched and then pass through a number of larval stages until the post larval stage is reached.

The post larvae are normally sold to the growout farms for stocking ponds when they are 15 days old. Due to the majority of farms producing their crops over summer, the greatest demand for post larvae occurs from August to November.

Also consider...

• You will need to discuss technical and licensing aspects of any proposed aquaculture venture with staff from Fisheries Queensland and the Department of Environment and Science before proceeding with site selection, design and, where applicable, land purchase.
• The Australian Prawn Farmers Association is a key contact for new farmers, investors and businesses looking to get involved in Queensland prawn farming.
• Download the Australian prawn farming manual for more information about prawn farming.
• Download the latest report to farmers for aquaculture industry statistics and production data.