Combined Effects Of Temperature And Salinity On Egg Hatching Rate And Incubation Time Of Penaeus Semisulcatus (Decapoda: Penaeidae)

This study was undertaken to determine the combined effects of temperature and salinity on the incubation time and hatching rate of Penaeus semisulcatus eggs in controlled laboratory conditions. Fertilized eggs, from a female caught in nature and spawned in our laboratory, were stocked in 2-l round bottom glass flasks and received one of nine temperature (24, 28 and 32°C) and salinity (30, 35 and 40 ppt) combinations. The eggs hatched in all treatments. The hatching rate increased as salinity increased and was highest at 24°C. In terms of hatching rate, the best combinations in descending order were 24°C at 40 ppt, 32°C at 40 ppt and 28°C at 40 ppt. However, the incubation time was longer at 24°C (17.5 h) than at 28°C (14.5 h) or 32°C (11.5 h).