A successful microbound diet
for the larval culture of freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii
E.E. Kovalenko, L.R. D'Abramo, C.L. Ohs, R.K.
Buddington-2002
Aquaculture, 210(1-4): 385-395
Abstract:
A high moisture (63-71%), semi-purified microbound
diet containing alginate was compared to newly hatched live Artemia
nauplii as an exclusive diet for the culture of larval freshwater prawn Macrobrachium
rosenbergii from 5th stage (weighted mean) through metamorphosis to
postlarva. Two separate trials, representing larvae from different hatches,
were conducted. Larvae were stocked at 50/l into cone-shaped vessels that
contained 2 l of 12 ppt seawater and were part of a temperature-controlled
(28 °C) recirculating culture system. Larvae were manually fed either the
live Artemia diet or the microbound diet exclusively, several times
daily. After 14 days (23 days post-hatch (dph)), growth of larvae fed the
microbound diet was 90% of that achieved for larvae fed newly hatched
nauplii of Artemia. Survival of larvae fed the microbound diet was
77.3% and 73.3%, and was not significantly different from that of Artemia-fed
larvae. Composed of readily available ingredients, the diet contains 46.2%
crude protein and 37.4% lipid, is easy to prepare, and has good water
stability. The diet is an economically practical alternative to the
fluctuating cost, nutrient uncertainty, and labor associated with the use of
Artemia nauplii hatched from cysts. The characteristics of the diet
suggest good potential for successful use in the larviculture of other fish
and crustacean species, in either the existing or a modified state.
(Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Mississippi
State University, Box 9690 Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA, Tel.:
+1-662-325-7492; fax: +1-662-325-8726, e-mail of L.R. D’Abramo: Ldabramo@cfr.msstate.edu)