Aquacultural importance of the integumental pore pattern in postlarval whiteleg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (Decapoda: Penaeidae)

Abstract

The analysisof integumental pore pattern hasidentifiedtwo intraspecificgroupsof postlarval shrimpLitopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931), a speciesof which three to five natural populationsor groupsare expectedto be foundfrom Mexico to Peru. Natural distribution andman-made redistributionshave not been typifiedon a population basisin any penaeid, but it isimportant to do so in thiscommercially significant group. Important factorsto be definedon a geographicpopulation or groupbasisinclude differencesin domesticity (eg resistance to pathological agents);foodconversion indexesandfoodpreferences;growth indices;tolerance to stressof variousoriginsandother attributesuseful in aquaculture. Thisconsideration isvalidnot only for L. vannamei but also for any other shrimpspeciesthat hasbeen the object of artificial redistribution.