Assessment of Physico-chemical Water Quality Parameters and Vibrio spp. Occurrence in Penaeus vannamei Farms of Coastal Saurashtra Region, Gujarat, India
Ajay R. Ram
College of Fisheries Science, Kamdhenu University, Veraval, India.
S. I. Yusufzai
College of Fisheries Science, Kamdhenu University, Veraval, India.
Ridhdhisa R. Barad *
College of Fisheries Science, Kamdhenu University, Veraval, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The present study investigated the physico-chemical water quality parameters and the prevalence of Vibrio spp. in shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) farms located in the coastal Saurashtra region of Gujarat during the mid to late culture period (80–120 days). Water samples were collected between July and December 2024 from 24 P. vannamei farms across four locations: Veraval, Chorwad, Mangrol and Bhavnagar. The analyzed physico-chemical parameters included salinity, temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), total alkalinity and total hardness, which ranged from 13.33 ± 0.333 to 22.00 ± 0.577 ppt, 29.00 ± 0.000 to 32.33 ± 0.333 °C, 7.43 ± 0.145 to 8.20 ± 0.058, 4.63 ± 0.033 to 5.60 ± 0.208 mg/L, 100.00 ± 4.163 to 191.67 ± 14.814 mg/L, and 2580.00 ± 32.14 to 4340.00 ± 117.189 mg/L, respectively, across all sites. All measured water quality parameters were within the acceptable range for normal shrimp culture. Five Vibrio species, viz., Vibrio parahaemolyticus (VP), V. cholerae (VC), V. vulnificus (VV), V. alginolyticus (VA), and V. harveyi (VH) were identified from the water samples using Gram staining and standard biochemical tests. Species-level analysis revealed that VC (n = 32) and VP (n = 32) were the most frequently detected, followed by VA (n = 16), VH (n = 12), and VV (n = 11).
Keywords: Penaeus vannamei, physico-chemical water quality, Vibrio species, Gram staining, biochemical tests