Contribution a l'etude de l'elevage de la crevette rose Palaemon serratus (Pennant) en captivite.

The growth of post-larval P. serratus has been studied until the appearance of secondary sexual characters, in order to eliminate the influence of sex ratio on the mean wt. The influence of temp on intermolt period and number of molts was observed in male and female kept individually. Different sorts of food of natural origin have been tested. The rearing of post-larval lots metamorphosed at different times of the yr showed that the growth of P. serratus is conditioned not only by the temp, but also by the season. The food conversion ratio was defined in relation to the sex and age of the prawns. Shelters allowed the author to obtain a ratio of survival which varied post-larvae per square meter. The sex ratio established from several breedings as soon as the sexual secondary characters, appeared, did not show, on an average, a predominance of male or female. The rearing of 800 post larvae in a tank of 1500 1 heated at 20{degree}C, during 20 months, showed that at the age of 7 months, the prawns hardly reached a commercial wt. The activity of female was essentially the intensive breeding of P. serratus does not seem of commercial interest now. It seems more advisable to carry out extensive breeding in lagoons along the coast during the period of highest growth between April and Nov.