Applying a triple logistic growth model to Penaeus vannamei farmed in earthen ponds at a commercial farm in the Gulf of California, Mexico

Shrimp farmed for a long period pauses its growth because of changes in environmental conditions or the achievement of the pond's carrying capacity. A modification of the von Bertalanffy model has been suggested to describe seasonal or oscillatory growth. Multiple logistic function is another alternative. This study used data from three earthen ponds farming the white legs shrimp Penaeus vannamei from spring to autumn, 202 days of commercial culture. An oscillatory version of the von Bertalanffy model, the Richards model, and double and triple logistic functions were contrasted. The best model was selected using information theory based on the Bayesian information criterion (BIC). We assumed a normal distribution of error. The triple logistic was the best model to describe the growth in the three earthen ponds because the lowest BIC value and BIC weight is more than 90%. The present study concluded that the multi-logistics approach best describes the growth in farmed shrimp P. vannamei if partial harvest is applied.