Interspecific hybridization of decapod crustacean species with commercial interest—A review

Interspecies hybridization has been widely used in the development of aquaculture infish species but there is not much impact in crustacean species. Several species ofcrustaceans that have been successfully crossed still have low hatching rates and thehybrids obtained have not met expectations. This review tries to summarize and ana-lyse interspecific hybridization of cultured crustacean species (shrimps, lobsters, cray-fish and crabs) and its potential for development of crustacean aquacultureproduction. The success of cross-breeding on several species of shrimp and lobsterhas been supported by artificial insemination technology. In crabs, artificial insemina-tion cannot be applied and cross-breeding still relies on natural mating with an unsta-ble success rate. In addition to cross-breeding in captivity, cross-breeding ofcrustacean species (shrimp, lobster, crayfish and crab) in nature has also been found.Interbreeding of crustacean species in nature cannot always be distinguished mor-phologically, hybrids between them can be known with certainty after carrying outmolecular analysis. Even though the level of reproductive performance in cross-breeding of shrimp, lobster, crayfish and crab species is still low, cross-breedingefforts must be continued to obtain more information so that it can later be mappedwhich species have the potential to develop hybrids for cultivation. Furthermore,growth, reproductive performance, monosex hybridity and disease resistance are allhybrid parameters that must be evaluated.