Date: 18 – 24 October 2026
Venue: Asian Institute of Technology
Course Introduction
This course introduces participants to integrated mud crab hatchery and farming systems, covering the complete production cycle from broodstock management and natural hatchery operations to larval rearing, grow-out, fattening, and soft-shell crab production. Through a combination of expert-led lectures, hands-on practical training, laboratory and pond sessions, and technical visits to commercial mud crab farms in Thailand, participants will gain practical knowledge and industry-relevant skills to improve production efficiency, strengthen biosecurity, and promote sustainable mud crab aquaculture.
This program covers:
1. Mud crab species identification, biology, moulting, reproduction, and life cycle
2. The mangrove ecosystem’s role in crab productivity; site selection for pond-based hatcheries
3. Pond design, preparation, and management for mangrove-based natural hatchery systems
4. Broodstock selection, transport, conditioning, and management of berried females for spawning
5. Natural larval production: stage identification, live-feed culture (microalgae, rotifers, Artemia), and feeding schedules
6. Water quality management (salinity, temperature, DO, pH, ammonia, alkalinity)
7. Nursery rearing: stocking density, shelter/substrate management, feeding, grading, and cannibalism reduction
8. Grow-out, fattening, and soft-shell crab production — stocking, feeding, moult induction, and harvest timing
9. Disease management, biosecurity, predator control, and post-harvest handling
10. Farm economics, marketing channels, and Group Action Plan (GAP) development
Key Learning Outcomes:
1. Identify mud crab species and describe their biology, life cycle, and habitat requirements.
2. Design, prepare, and manage mangrove-based ponds for natural hatchery and larval rearing.
3. Select, condition, and manage broodstock; oversee spawning, egg incubation, and larval development.
4. Apply nursery rearing techniques for crablets, including live-feed, water quality, and grading.
5. Operate grow-out, fattening, and soft-shell crab production in pond and tank systems.
6. Manage feed programmes, disease risks, biosecurity, harvesting, and post-harvest handling.
7. Evaluate farm economics and develop practical action plans for implementation.
For more information and registration, please visit https://extension.ait.ac.th/course/mud-crab-hatchery-and-farming-hatching-larval-rearing-grow-out-and-soft-shell-crab
