Résistance de la crevette Litopenaeus stylirostris à la bactérie pathogène Vibrio penaeicida : Physiologie, immunologie et pathologie comparées d’une population sélectionnée sur un critère de survie aux épisodes de mortalité et d’une population témoin non sélectionnée.

The New-Caledonian shrimp industry is based on the controlled reproduction of the shrimp Litopenaeus stylirostris, a species which was introduced in the 80s. The major difficulty to which the industry has been faced for 10 years is the occurrence of the “Syndrome 93”, which corresponds to mortality phases when the temperature falls down in April-May-June. This mortality is associated to the pathogenic bacteria Vibrio penaecida. An experiment of genetic selection based on the criterion ofsurvival to Syndrome 93 has been conducted at the Laboratory of Aquaculture of New Caledonia. The 3rd selected generation had demonstrated very encouraging results (survival rates improved by around 20% in experimental infections with V. penaeicida). These results have not been confirmed at the 4th generation and no difference in terms of physiology and immunology appears between the selected population and the non-selected control population. The potential causes of these results are examined and proposals for protocol improvements are given.