Experiments on the propagation and culture of prawns in Taiwan

Abstract

To develop prawn culture, the Tungkang Marine Laboratory (also known as Tungkang Shrimp Culture Centre) was established with financial assistance from the Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction and the Rockefeller Foundation. In two years, the laboratory succeeded in propagating six species of economically important prawns, viz., Penaeus japonicus, P. monodon, P. semisulcatus, P. teraoi, Metapenaeus monoceros and M. joyneri. Starting from 1970, juveniles of P. japonicus have been produced on a large scale and supplied to fish farmers in southern Taiwan and the Pescadores. Experiments on the monoculture of P. japonicus and P. monodon are described and discussed in this paper.