Process for culturing crabs in recirculating marine aquaculture systems

• US 6,584,935 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2002
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: University of Maryland Baltimore County (University of Maryland)
• Original Assignee: University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute
• Inventors: Zohar, Yonathan, Zmora, Oded, Hines, Anson
• Primary Examiner(s): ABBOTT, YVONNE RENEE
• Application Number:
  US10/223,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20030070624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 316 Days
• Field of Search: 119/204, 119/205, 119/206, 119/207, 119/211, 119/212, 119/215, 119/216, 119/217, 119/218, 119/234, 119/236
• US Class Current: 119/204
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 61/00 Culture of aquatic animals receptacles for live fish, e.g. aquaria, A01K63/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 61/17 Hatching, e.g. incubators
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 61/59 of crustaceans, e.g. lobsters or shrimps
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 63/04 Arrangements for treating water specially adapted to receptacles for live fish
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/81 Aquaculture, e.g. of fish

Abstract

The present invention relates to a recirculating marine aquaculture process for production of a crab species, including (i) a broodstock conditioning, (ii) spawning, (iii) egg incubation, (iv) larval growth, (v) nursery post-larval growth, and (vi) grow-out of the crab to a final product weight, in which each stage (i)-(vi) of the process involves operation in an aqueous medium that is coupled in liquid recirculation relationship with waste component removal from the aqueous medium and returning purified aqueous medium to the external environment. The process involves operation in a closed, recirculating aquaculture system in which photoperiod, water temperature, water chemistry, and diet are optimized and then continuously monitored and controlled to obtain optimal production at each of the six phases (i)-(vi) of the life cycle.

Claims

1. A closed, recirculating marine aquaculture process for production of a marine species, including life-cycle stages of (i) broodstock conditioning, (ii) spawning, (iii) egg incubation, (iv) larval growth, (v) nursery post-larval growth, and (vi) grow-out of the marine species to a final product weight, wherein each respective life-cycle stage (i)-(vi) of the process involves operation in an aqueous medium that is coupled in liquid recirculation relationship with means for removing waste components from the aqueous medium and returning purified aqueous medium to the external environment, and wherein photoperiod, water temperature, water chemistry, and diet are optimized and then continuously monitored and controlled for the specific marine species, to obtain optimal production at each of the six life-cycle stages (i)-(vi).

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the marine species is a crustacean.

3. The process according to claim 2, wherein the crustacean is a crab.

4. A closed, recirculating marine aquaculture process for production of a crab species, including life-cycle stages of (i) broodstock conditioning, (ii) spawning, (iii) egg incubation, (iv) larval growth, (v) nursery post-larval growth, and (vi) grow-out of the crab species to a final product weight, wherein each respective life-cycle stage (i)-(vi) of the process involves operation in an aqueous medium that is coupled in liquid recirculation relationship with means for removing waste components from the aqueous medium and returning purified aqueous medium to the external environment, and wherein photoperiod, water temperature, water chemistry, and diet are optimized and then continuously monitored and controlled for the specific crab species, to obtain optimal production at each of the six life-cycle stages (i)-(vi).

5. The process of claim 4, wherein the crab species is selected from the group consisting of blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), Alaskan (red) King crab (Paralithodes camtschatica), Dungeness crab (Cancer magister), Jonah crab (C. boresalis), and the Rock crab (C. irraoratus).

6. The process of claim 4, including the steps of:

providing recirculated aqueous medium tanks for populations in the life-cycle stages;

continuously recirculating aqueous medium and treating the aqueous medium for removal of waste therefrom;

administering, as needed, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) or GnRH agonist to a broodstock population of said crab prior to spawning; and

maintaining process conditions in the aqueous medium in respective life-cycle stages, in accordance with the following PROCESS CONDITIONS correlative to LIFE-CYCLE STAGE;

7. The process of claim 6, wherein the crab species is Blue crab.

8. The process of claim 6, wherein in said broodstock conditioning stage, said feed comprises food selected from the group consisting of (i) squid meal-based dry pellets, comprising 50-55% protein and 10-15% marine-type lipids, wherein said lipids comprise at least 5% n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA), mainly of the 22:

6n-3 (DHA) type, (ii) dry commercial pellets, (iii) 50% chopped squid and 50% pelleted diet designed for bottom feeder.

9. The process of claim 6, wherein photoperiod, temperature and salinity are manipulated to yield year-round egg production.

10. The process of claim 6, wherein spawning is initiated by treating females with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) delivery systems.

11. The process of claim 10, wherein GnRHa is administered in a sustained release form at a dose in a range of from about 25 to about 100 micrograms per kg body weight of females, and at a dose in a range of from about 15 to about 30 micrograms per kg of body weight of males.

12. The process of claim 6, wherein the salinity of the aqueous medium in the broodstock conditioning tank is about 30 ppt.

13. The process of claim 6, wherein the salinity of the aqueous medium in the grow-out tank is in a range of from about 28 to about 30 ppt.

14. The process of claim 6, wherein a pre-molt crab from the broodstock or grow-up stock is segregated and monitored until shedding.

15. The process of claim 14, wherein the pre-molt crab is segregated in a cyclical cage system.

16. A process for producing a crab species, by cultivation in life-cycle stages including broodstock conditioning, spawning, egg incubation, larval rearing, nursery processing, and grow-out, in a closed, continuous recirculation aquaculture system adapted to culture corresponding populations of broodstock, eggs, larvae, crab in aqueous media, wherein photoperiod, water temperature, water chemistry, and diet are optimally maintained in the life-cycle stages to achieve optimal production in such life-cycle stages.

17. A process for producing a crab species in a closed, recirculating aquaculture system including respective aqueous medium-containing tanks for successive life-cycle stages, including broodstock conditioning, spawning, egg incubation, larval rearing, nursery processing and crab grow-out, wherein photoperiod, water temperature, water chemistry and diet are monitored and controlled to provide regulated process conditions in the aqueous medium tanks including the with the following PROCESS CONDITIONS correlative to LIFE-CYCLE STAGE:

18. A process of producing a crab species in a recirculating aquaculture system comprising:

(i) providing respective aqueous medium-containing tanks for successive life-cycle stages of the crab species including broodstock conditioning, spawning, egg incubation, larval rearing, nursery processing, and crab grow-out; and

(ii) providing filtration means coupled in closed loop aqueous medium recirculation relationship with the respective tanks, so that aqueous medium from a tank is filtered for purification thereof and returned to the tank, wherein growth conditions are maintained in each of the respective tanks by the steps of;

(a) administering nutritive material to each of the respective tanks containing crab or crab precursor feeding species;

(b) maintaining salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature and photoexposure within predetermined ranges in each of the respective tanks;

(c) utilizing a hyposaline aqueous medium as the aqueous medium in the grow-out tank; and

(d) administering, as needed, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GNRH) or GNRH agonist (GnRHa) to the crab species in a sustained release form prior to spawning of the crab in the spawning tank.