Music stimulus has a positive effect on survival and development of the larvae in swimming crab Portunus trituberculatus

The sound stimulus has a significant impact on marine animals. However, many studies have focused on the negative impacts of sound on marine vertebrates. The positive impacts of sound on marine animals, especially on marine invertebrates, were rarely studied. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of music on the survival and development of an economically important marine invertebrate, swimming crab Portunus trituberculatus. Three pieces of classical music and a control group, i.e., Eine Kleine Nachtmusik by Mozart (EK), Bach-Violin Concerto No. 1 (BV), Anonymous Romanza by Anonymous (AR), and environmental sound (EN) were used. The sound pressure received were 163-dB root mean square (RMS) re 1 mu Pa for EK, 166-dB RMS re 1 mu Pa for BV, 165 dB RMS re 1 mu Pa for AR, 44-dB RMS re 1 mu Pa for EN, respectively. The larvae were subject to 3-h classical music transmission every day during the entire larval development period. The result showed that BV and AR significantly elevated the cumulative survival rate of the larva from 3.42%+/- 1.77% (EN) to 10.65%+/- 1.69% (BV) and 7.12%+/- 1.37% (AR) respectively (P<0.05). Though music did not affect the cumulative development time of larvae from Zoea to I Zoea IV, it significantly increased the molting rate of megalopa from 24.00%+/- 11.78% (EN) to 44.00%+/- 13.06% (AR) and 46.67%+/- 10.50% (BV) (P<0.05). Musical exposure during critical growth intervals may contribute to the survival and development of larval crustaceans. From an application point of view, music intervention is much economically feasible. The observed music effects imply that music could further enhance growth, welfare, and production.