SCRC: PhD: Towards all female P. monodon populations using endocrine manipulations- top up scholarship
Prawns exhibit sexually dimorphic growth patterns. Female prawns are typically 20 to 30% larger than male prawns at harvest and thus can be either harvested earlier or grown to a larger size. Moreover, large size prawns attract premium prices in the market. For the two most important cultured penaeids, P.monodon and L. vannamei, divergence in sex-specific growth rates occurs between 13 and 28 g and between 13 and 18 g, respectively [1, 2, 3 & 4]. Growth superiority of female shrimp provides researchers and farmers with an incentive to investigate the potential for producing and culturing all-female populations which offer a [5]. This will give Australian farmers a competitive edge in an increasingly competitive international market.