An investigation of the underlying mechanisms that control gender and fertility in the Moreton Bay Bug, Thenus orientalis (2008-2010)

With the recent success of egg-to-adult rearing of the Moreton Bay Bug, Thenus orientalis, and high survival rates in closed aquaculture systems in Australia, the potential to commercially culture this high-value species of lobster is now being realised. The Australian company Lobster Harvest has begun selectively breeding this species to improve growth performance and culture potential. This has created demand for a technique to protect these elite genotypes from unwanted breeding. As the underlying biochemical and genetic mechanisms that control fertility and gender are interrelated, this project will investigate means by which to produce sterile T. orientalis whilst also investigating the potential for producing mono-sex populations.''