Live and inert foods for postlarvae of the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii

Five live or inert food organisms (adult Artemia, Moina, Tubifex worms, clam meat, poultry egg custard) were evaluated as feed for postlarvae of Macrobrachium rosenbergii. The postlarvae (avg 5.2+/-0.22 mg, 7.2+/-0.38 mm) were reared in plastic pools (0.9 m diameter x 0.6 m) containing 100 I fresh water, stocked at one postlarva per liter for 30 days, with five replicates of each treatment. There were significant differences (p<005) in final weight gains of the postlarvae (62.94-88.86 mg), final length gains (16.45-20.71 mm) and survival (69.67-92.33%). The live Moina were superior to the other foods with a significantly higher weight gain (1708.92+/-54.03%), length gain (287.70+/-4.76%) and specific growth rate (9.45+/-0.1%/d). The higher protein (66.16%) and n-3 HUFA (10.20%) levels in Moina may explain these results.