D'Abramo, L.R., Castell, J.D.
Abstract:
Serious constraints to progress in the understanding of the nutrition of crustacean species have occurred due to the lack of standardization in experimental design, data collection, diet formulation and composition, culture conditions, and analytical procedures. A set of recommended guidelines for the performance of nutritional investigations with crustaceans is presented. These guidelines are not entirely applicable to all conditions or species but they do represent an effort to enhance the quality and comparative value of future research results. Guidelines address water source and quality, experimental conditions, system design, use of standard reference diets, choice of binders, nutrient interactions, determinations of digestibility and energy content. Evaluation of responses, comparison of growth rate estimates, statistical analysis and estimation of nutrient requirements are other topics that are addressed. Future experimentation may involve the use of standardized diets that are species specific or species that representative a particular type of crustacean.. Standardization of methodology yields information that has a highly comparative value and can be confidently applied to the manufacture of cost effective diets for commercial crustacean culture.
(Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Mississippi State University, Box 9690, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762, USA)
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