Farming of giant prawns (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) is a booming industry, worth more than US$2.45 billion. But the gene pool from which prawns are bred is narrowing. China farms more than half of all giant prawns, depending entirely on cultured strains that have substantially less genetic diversity than do wild populations (Q. Shen et al. Aquac. Rep. 38, 102356; 2024) — and so are more susceptible to disease. By contrast, countries such as India, which mainly uses wild, genetically diverse prawns, rather than strains bred for desirable traits, are struggling with low larval survival and yields (B. R. Pillai and D. Panda J. Aquac. 33, 1–14; 2024).
Competing Interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Source: Ecology - nature.com
