Behaviour of the western king prawn, Penaeus latisulcatus Kishinouye: effect of food dispersion and crowding

Abstract

In aquacultural projects, crowding of prawns may adversely influence their growth and survival. In this paper, the behaviour of western king prawns, Penaeus latisulcatus, was investigated in tanks. Six forms of behaviour were identified. Prawns were exclusively nocturnal in their active behaviour. Males and females showed no significant difference in the mean time spent in various behaviours. Feeding efficiency increased as food became more dispersed over the tank floor. Behaviours leading to less efficient feeding increased with increased density, but less severely so if food was evenly dispersed than if food was presented at a point source.