Laboratory Life History of the Palaemonid Shrimp Macrobrachium Amazonicum (Heller) (Decapoda, Palaemonidae)

[Macrobrachium amazonicum was reared in the laboratory to gather information on the life history of this species. One day old eggs were slightly elliptical (0.6 X 0.7 mm) and light green; fully matured embryos were 0.63 X 0.85 mm and dark grey. Incubation was 12-15 days at 30±1° C and 19-24 days at 24±2° C. An average of 565±238 larvae were produced by females of 76.3±4.4 mm TL and weighing 3.6±0.6 g. Larvae went through 8-9 stages in 23-26 days at 24±0.25° C before metamorphosis to postlarvae. Postlarval growth was rapid with M. amazonicum reaching sexual maturity in 168±2 days after hatching. Females which produced eggs the first time averaged 59.4±1.8 mm (TL), weighed 1.7±0.1 g, and produced 230±102 larvae. The length-weight relationship of M. amazonicum was similar to that reported for other Macrobrachium species., Macrobrachium amazonicum was reared in the laboratory to gather information on the life history of this species. One day old eggs were slightly elliptical (0.6 X 0.7 mm) and light green; fully matured embryos were 0.63 X 0.85 mm and dark grey. Incubation was 12-15 days at 30±1° C and 19-24 days at 24±2° C. An average of 565±238 larvae were produced by females of 76.3±4.4 mm TL and weighing 3.6±0.6 g. Larvae went through 8-9 stages in 23-26 days at 24±0.25° C before metamorphosis to postlarvae. Postlarval growth was rapid with M. amazonicum reaching sexual maturity in 168±2 days after hatching. Females which produced eggs the first time averaged 59.4±1.8 mm (TL), weighed 1.7±0.1 g, and produced 230±102 larvae. The length-weight relationship of M. amazonicum was similar to that reported for other Macrobrachium species.]