Performance of Farfantepenaeus paulensis (Pérez‐Farfante, 1967) broodstock in tanks with sand and hard substrate

This study evaluated the reproductive performance, physical condition and tissue biochemical composition of wild‐caught Farfantepenaeus paulensis kept for 50 days in maturation tanks provided with sand or hard substrate. The use of sand in F. paulensis maturation tanks had limited impact on the performance and biochemical composition of broodstock. Females in the hard‐bottom tank produced more spawns and more eggs in total, but those kept in the presence of the sand substrate produced a larger number of nauplii because an improvement in mating success was observed. An increased survival of females was also related to the presence of the sand substrate, which agrees with improvements in water quality and the physical condition of females. On the other hand, sourcing mature females was more difficult and time consuming in sand‐bottom tanks. The decision on whether or not to use sand substrates in F. paulensis maturation tanks must take into account not only productivity and animal welfare but also considers ease of operation and costs. These findings may have implications for the design of maturation systems for closed thelycum species.