60 MARCH 2023 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG americanum, Lysmata amboinensis, L. hochi, Thor hainanensis, Saron marmoratus, S. neglectus, Periclimenella agattii and Urocaridella arabianensis were collected from wild, adopting eco-friendly capture methods. These animals were accommodated in a quarantine tank and, after 15 days, were transferred to 500L broodstock development tanks, separated by species. To provide a natural environment, dead corals and live rocks were kept in tanks. Feeding was done twice daily with frozen Artemia and boiled clams as available. Larval and Juvenile Rearing: Larvae hatch out into the zoeal stage. After hatching in broodstock tanks, larvae were moved to 200L FRP tanks, which were provided with mild aeration and a 10-hr photoperiod. Larvae were fed ad libitum with green algae Chlorella marina, enriched rotifers Brachionus pilicatilis, followed by Artemia nauplii. Larval growth was followed by molting. Bottom siphoning was carried out to remove waste, which was practiced once every two days. Zoea larvae metamorphosed to the decapodid stage before reaching the juvenile stage, when larvae resemble miniature adults. When larvae metamorphosed to the decapodid stage, they were transferred to 200-L FRP tanks. Mild aeration and natural sunlight using transparent roof panels were also provided. Juveniles were fed with live Artemia nauplii during the initial days, followed by frozen Artemia. Water exchange was performed once every two days. Dead coral boulders were provided as hiding substrate for juveniles in the tank. Working Model and Alignment with UN SDGs Sub-adult sexy shrimp Thor hainanensis were collected from nature, reared as a pair and then transferred to broodstock development tanks. Shrimp were fed three times daily to achieve broodstock development sooner and spawning was achieved. Hatched larvae were collected and transferred to rearing tanks and reared for 35-40 days to reach the juvenile stage. The juveniles of both species were reared at the ICAR-NBFGR Germplasm Resource Centre for Marine Ornamentals at Agatti Island for another 15-20 days and thereafter moved to community aquaculture units for further rearing by island community members, who grow the shrimp for three months, when it is then ready for marketing. Initiatives Toward Island Community Development Marine ornamental shrimps have good market value in the aquarium trade and these would be a potential tool to contribute to the Blue Economy. However, it is important to realize that wild stocks cannot meet the increasing demand because the reef organisms are declining as a result of coral reef degradation triggered by increasing sea surface water temperature and pollution (Moorhead and Zeng 2010). Hence, the captive propagation of marine ornamentals is the need of the hour. That would be the only way out to relieve the pressure on the coral reef ecosystem, thus helping in conservation. Recently, the technology for breeding and rearing of marine ornamental fishes as well as invertebrates has been successfully developed and standardised (Ajith Kumar and Balasubramanian 2009, Ajith Kumar et al. 2020, Jose et al. 2021). As a part of fortification to the culture of marine ornamental invertebrates, the ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources established a germplasm resource center for marine ornamental invertebrates at Agatti Island, Lakshadweep (Fig. 2), which is a new approach in the country. Presently, the technology for breeding and juvenile production has been successfully developed for the ornamental shrimps Ancylocaris brevicarpalis and Thor hainanensis (Fig. 3), which are being traded extensively in the international market. Of these, T. hainanensis, known by the common name of ‘sexy shrimp’ is morphologically similar to T. amboinensis (Madhavan et al. 2019), which is a heavily exploited and traded shrimp. Thus, the captive production of these shrimps would help to alleviate pressure on wild stocks.It is noteworthy to appreciate the value of marine ornamental shrimps that attracts an amount of US$24.99/piece (www.bluezooaquatics.com/ productdetail.asp?cid=84&pid=1238&did=2), which is a substantial amount for the stakeholders involved in this business. Because the coastal and island communities are depending on the marine resources for their livelihood, this tailored technique would help them to establish rearing units of marine ornamentals to meet the demand and thus improve their economic status. Captive Propagation Broodstock Development: The ornamental shrimps, Ancylocaris brevicarpalis, Stenopus hispidus, Gnathophyllum FIGURE 2. Interior view of the ICAR-NBFGR facility at Agatti Island, Lakshadweep, India. FIGURE 3. Hatchery-bred juveniles of sexy shrimp Thor hainanensis.
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