Productivity and Profitability of Mithraculus forceps Aquaculture

Authors

Joana Figueiredo, Universidade de Lisboa - PortugalFollow
Gil Penha-Lopes, Universidade de Lisboa - Portugal
Junda Lin, Florida Institute of Technology
Luis Narciso, Universidade de Lisboa - Portugal

ORCID

0000-0001-6597-0268

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Aquaculture

ISSN

0044-8486

Publication Date

10-1-2008

Keywords

Mithraculus forceps, Management, Model, Ornamental, Production, Profitability

Abstract

Red-clinging crabs Mithraculus forceps are used for their ability to control nuisance algae in marine aquariums. Their larval and juvenile culture protocol has already been successfully developed. The objective of this work is to build a model that integrates the effect of different abiotic and biotic factors (temperature, stocking density, prey density), as well as space (number and volume of tanks) in production and economic parameters (costs of feed, labour and maintenance, market price and profit). The model aimed to be used as a tool to support management decisions. Overall, the model was able to integrate previously collected data and produce expected forecasts of M. forceps larval and juvenile culture reared under different combinations of temperature, stocking density, and prey density. Sensitivity analysis revealed that temperature was the most important factor regulating survival and growth, and consequently profit. According to the model, a batch of 1500 larvae reared in ten 10 L tanks in optimal conditions (10 prey mL^{− 1} and 28 °C) and then, as juveniles, in a 3 m² water table at 28 °C, is expected to reach commercial size in 225 days.

DOI

10.1016/j.aquaculture.2008.06.043

Volume

283

Issue

1-4

First Page

43

Last Page

49

Comments

©2008 Elsevier B.V.

NSUWorks Citation

Joana Figueiredo, Gil Penha-Lopes, Junda Lin, and Luis Narciso. 2008. Productivity and Profitability of Mithraculus forceps Aquaculture .Aquaculture , (1-4) : 43 -49. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_facarticles/406.