FISHERIES RESEARCH INSTITUTE,MOA,TAIWAN

　Growing ecological concerns have led to an increasing focus on the conservation of aquatic species that are suffering from declining populations. Furthermore, the rising popularity of freshwater ornamental shrimps in recent years has boosted the demand for these shrimps in the aquarium market. Given these trends, the Fisheries Research Institute (FRI, a division of the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan) has been seeking to develop aquaculture technologies with local freshwater shrimps in mind, with the hope that this would serve both conservation and industry needs and, ultimately, create a win-win scenario for the environment and the industry. Taiwan’s complex terrain and climate have created diverse ecosystems that are home to a rich collection of flora and fauna. Among the 343 species of crustaceans that are found here, freshwater ones make up three families, seven genera, and 33 species, and most of them are freshwater shrimp species. The freshwater shrimps farmed in Taiwan include 18 species of palaemonid shrimps and 13 species of atyid shrimps. Palaemonid shrimps are relatively large in size and often used as a supplementary source of animal protein. The Macrobrachium lar is a palaemonid shrimp that is commonly sold as a delicacy in mountain-based local specialty shops; however, the fact that such shrimp are still mostly wild-caught has led to a shrinking population and hastened the need to develop artificial aquaculture technologies. As for atyid shrimps, they are often housed with other aquarium animals, as their smaller size and algae-eating nature mean that they can help remove algae from the tank and maintain an aquarium’s ecological stability. In recent years, an increasing awareness of these shrimps’ color-changing nature has led to a growing focus on their ornamental value as a primary selling point. The Neocaridina denticulata, an atyid species, is known for its diverse color variations and has now become a major export in the aquarium market. With respect to the Neocaridina denticulate, FRI has conducted seedling propagation experiments with the purpose of examining the species’ physiological and ecological characteristics (e.g. pairing, shape appraisal, morphological appraisal, fecundity, spawning frequency, and gonadal development), in addition to performing color improvement experiments aimed at cultivating new aquaculture strains. Furthermore, FRI has also been conducting research on the artificial propagation of palaemonid shrimps and has already seen success in the propagation of species such as the Macrobrachium lar, Macrobrachium gracilirostre, and Macrobrachium asperulum. Going forward, the institute will expand on their research in this field, in the hope of developing stable propagation-related technologies, helping the industry to manage aquaculture conditions, and establishing a foundation for future efforts to develop mass production modules.