01 · AquaGrow
What it is
Postlarvae (PL) are the later shrimp seed stage. Quality assessment combines observations, production records and suitable health tests. No single swimming test, photograph or certificate proves every seed is fit for dispatch.
Signs to watch for
- Weak activity or an abnormal feeding response.
- Uneven sizes or stages in representative samples.
- Injuries, fouling or poor results in a validated quality assessment.
Common causes
- Source, nutrition or rearing conditions were unsuitable.
- Handling, crowding, water stress or health problems affect the batch.
- Sampling or counting is not representative.
How to confirm the cause
- Use trained visual and microscope assessment of a representative sample.
- Match observations with batch history, water, survival and appropriate laboratory results.
What to do immediately
- 1
Keep the batch identity and pause dispatch while significant quality concerns are unresolved.
- 2
Ask the technician to assess condition, water and the sampling method.
- 3
Review feeding and handling and arrange suitable diagnostics. Do not blend a weak lot with another batch to hide variation.
Prevention: your practical checklist
- Assess quality through the production cycle, not only on sale day.
- Keep lot records and use gentle, planned handling.
- Agree transparent quality and health-documentation requirements before dispatch.
When to call an expert
- Deaths, severe weakness or a sharp quality decline need urgent review.
- Unresolved test or quality concerns need a professional release decision before movement.
Farmer questions
Can a stress test certify the whole batch?
No. Any quality test has a defined procedure and sampling limit. Use a validated, stage-appropriate assessment with records and diagnostics; do not copy an unverified chemical stress-test recipe.
Does active swimming mean disease free?
No. Apparently active seed may still need appropriate pathogen screening and a review of rearing history.
Should different-size seed be mixed for sale?
Do not mix lots to conceal a quality problem. Keep identity and quality information transparent and obtain a release decision under the hatchery plan.
Sources & further reading
AI-assisted educational content and translations, source-checked 17 October 2026. Not an individual diagnosis or prescription. Independent aquaculture-health and native-language specialist approvals have not been supplied. Sources do not endorse AquaGrow.
- SHAPHARI hatchery operating guidelines — production, biosecurity and records ↗MPEDA; linked guideline, not AquaGrow certification or a legal-compliance audit
- Hatchery operations and assessment framework (2007) ↗FAO FTP 446; historical P. monodon manual, not a vannamei treatment protocol