Morphogenèse sexuelle et régulation hormonale de l'activité génitale chez la crevette Penaeus japonicus en élevage

A study of the sexual physiology of penaeid prawns essentially based upon Penaeus japonicus is performed in both descriptive and experimental ways, using the controlled rearings conducted at the Centre Oceanologique de Bretagne (CNEXO-COB), Brest. Sexual morphogenesis is described. This preliminary study enables definition of simple criteria for determination of the stage of genital development of the prawns during their growth. The neuroendocrine control of the genital system development is studied, using eyestalks ablations and male eyestalks extracts injection in prawns belonging to the same sex. A biochemical criterion as a test of the effect of eyestalks extract injections on the genital system development is discussed. The evolution of the specific activity of aspartate transcarbamylase (ATC) has been followed and results are discussed.