Reproductive performance, offspring quality, proximate and fatty acid composition of normal and precocious Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis

The Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis, is currently farmed throughout China. Precocity, commonly accounts for 15-30% of cultured crab populations, is a major problem for E. sinensis aquaculture. The precocious crabs reach terminal moult at small sizes, hence have low market value. To date, it is unknown whether the precocious crabs are reproductive functional. This study confirmed that precocious E. sinensis could produce viable offspring, and subsequently compared reproductive performance and offspring quality between normal and precocious E. sinensis, providing useful information for aquaculture of the species.