Occurrence of maturing females of Kuruma Prawn,Penaeus japonicus in the mariculture farm at Muttukadu

In December, 1983 about 2,000 numbers of seed of Penaeus japonicus (average size: 42.2 mm) collected \nfrom wild were stocked in a 0.4 ha pond (No. A-4) at the Mariculture Farm, Muttukadu, Madras. All the males were mature, as the white mass was seen at the base of fifth walking legs. In the case of females, all the specimens were found to have developing ovaries, when they were seen against the light. Earlier records of maturing/matured penaeid prawns of India in low saline waters include Metapenaeus dobsoni from open backwaters of Cochin and perennial culture fields of Vypeen Islands, Kerala and Metapenaeus moyebi from Pulicat Lake on the Madras coast. The present observation enlists Penaeus japonicus with those prawns attaining maturity in low saline waters, or to say precisely in confined waters.