EFFECT OF FEEDING REGIME AND SEX ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND FEED UTILIZATION OF POST LARVAL FRESH WATER PRAWN Macrobrachium rosenbergii (de Man 1879)

Kabir Chowdhury,, M. A.; El-Haroun, E. R.; Wafa, M. A.; Salah El-Din, S. A.

doi:10.21608/jappmu.2007.219623

EFFECT OF FEEDING REGIME AND SEX ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND FEED UTILIZATION OF POST LARVAL FRESH WATER PRAWN Macrobrachium rosenbergii (de Man 1879)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Fish Nutrition Research Laboratory, Animal and Poultry Science, Ontario, Agriculture College, Guelph University, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

² Fish Nutrition Research Laboratory, National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Cairo, Egypt (NIOF).

10.21608/jappmu.2007.219623

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of feeding regime protein level and feeding time and sex on growth performance, feed utilization, survival rate and body composition of post larvae of freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii. Post-larvae (PL) of M. rosenbergii, 30 day-old with an average weight of 20.8 ± 0.17 mg were fed at two different dietary protein 35% and 40% CP and isocaloric diets 360 kcal DE 100 g ^-1. The ration was fed twice a day at three different feeding times (9:00; 12:00 h); (9:00; 15:00 h) and (9:00; 18:00 h). The experiment was conducted in concrete tanks (6 m^-3) for 84 days at a stocking density of 30 PL m^-3. The daily feed ration was fed of their collective body weight at feeding rate of 10% from 0.2 to 1.0 g prawn, 7% for 1-5 g prawn and 5% for greater than 5 g prawn. The higher significant values (P ≤ 0.05) of survival rate, weight gain and specific growth rate (P ≤ 0.05) were observed for prawn fed diet at 35% CP. The same trend was observed for prawn PL fed with feeding time (9:00: 15:00 h). The prawn PL either fed at 35% protein diet or feeding time (9:00: 18:00 h) showed the better-feed conversion ratio (P ≤ 0.05). The highest protein efficiency ratio, fat retention and energy retention (P ≤ 0.05) were showed for prawn PL fed diet at 35% CP with feeding time (9:00; 18:00 h). No significant difference was observed for the effect of dietary protein on whole body dry matter and protein contents. However, prawn carcass gained more fat (P ≤ 0.05) when fed diet at 35% CP. Meanwhile, prawn fed at (9:00: 15:00 h) showed the highest carcass crude protein and lowest fat and ash contents (P ≤ 0.05). Generally, males of M. rosenbergii recorded the better growth performance and feed utilization than the females either at different dietary protein levels or different feeding time. The results of the present study revealed that prawn M. rosenbergii PL fed diet at either 35% CP or feeding time (9:00; 15:00 h) obtain an optimum growth performance and feed utilization.

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