hatchery situation, the production of eggs per unit
time is crucial. Consequently, hatchery operators
usually select the larger females for reproduction
because fecundity is linearly related with female
weight, as clearly demonstrated in several studies
(Patra 1976; Malecha 1983; Costa & Wanninayake
1986; Ang & Law 1991; Rao 1991). According
to Loba˜o, Rojas and Valenti (1986), the
variations found for fecundity may be attributed to
different conditions of female maintenance in the
laboratory, female physiological conditions and
season, among others. Graziani, Chung and Donato
(1993) stated that in Macrobrachium species,
the fecundity is extremely associated with the
female age, and thus it increases while the female
becomes mature.