The energetics of growth, respiration, and egestion of the brown shrimp Penaeus aztecus aztecus Ives.

The growth of brown shrimp Penaeus aztecus was followed in the laboratory for three size groups (which covered growth from 12.5 to 127 mm in body length). Rates of increase varied from 0.06 to 1.27 mm/day (body length) and from 0.00 to 0.17 gm/day (wet body weight). Relative to their own body sizes, young shrimp grew faster than adults, decreasing from a mean of 1.55 to 0.45% (body length) and from 3.90 to 0.91%/day (wet body weight). The mean gross and net efficiencies were 19.32 and 34.95%, respectively. Considering the shed exoskeleton as growth, each of these efficiencies would be about 3% higher.