Vitellogenin in hemolymph predicts gonad maturity in adult female Litopenaeus (Penaeus) vannamei shrimp

Vitellogenin (Vtg), when measured in shrimp hemolymph has been found to reflect the degree of female shrimp ovarian development before eyestalk ablation, and to be a useful predictor of ovarian development after ablation. The present study evaluated correlations of vitellogenin in hemolymph with the number and diameter of oocytes in gonads, as a measure of reproductive status of Pacific white shrimp. Shrimps were grown at high density in a raceway, and evaluated at an average weight of 35 g. A significant Pearson correlation was found between Vtg and oocytes diameter (0.90 ± 0.08), but not for Vtg and number of oocytes, or for oocytes diameter and numbers. Vtg is the first reproductive trait found to predict reproductive capacity of Pacific white shrimp before eyestalk ablation, and shrimp producers can utilize it to define a priory which females to introduce into spawning tanks.