A study on the feeding of shrimp larvae of Macrobrachium nipponense on algae in vitro

Experiments were carried out for the propagation and rearing of Macrobrachium nipponense and its feeding on algae, with the aim of determining the density, survival, and growth of larvae in vitro. Hatched larvae of zoae were reared at a density of 50 zoea/L with algae mixture: Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus sp., Pediastrium sp., Microctinium sp., Navicula sp., Ulothrix sp., Cyclotella sp., Daitoma sp. at three concentrations of 0.5=A, 1.0=B, 1.5=C x 10⁵ cell/ml, and the survival % rates of zoea larvae were 45.00±5.00, 53.33±7.64, 50.00±5.00 respectively. Then, three densities: 25=A, 50=B, 75=C zoea/L were tested by feeding them with the best concentration of 1.0×10⁵ cell/ml for 10 days, with the result being survival % rates were  50.00±5.00, 51.67±7.64, 31.67±7.64, respectively. After that, stage post-larvae were reared at a density of (50=A,100=B, 150=C) Pl/pond and fed with a concentration of 1.0 x 10⁵ cell/ml of the algae mixture for 28 days, which resulted in survival % rates of 48.33±7.64, 40.00±5.00, 33.33±7.64, and this stage, weight was 50.67±2.08, 50.00±2.00, 40.33±2.52mg respectively. The results of the analysis of survival rates for different densities of zoea larvae found significant differences (P < 0.05) between density C and density of both A and B, of which there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) between them. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in the survival rates of zoea in different concentrations of the selected algae. Also, there were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in the survival rates and weight rate of post-larvae when fed on algae (B).