Growth, Survival and Proximate Body Composition of M. dayanum Larvae Fed Artificial Food and Natural Food Organisms under Laboratory Conditions

The present investigation was carried out to study the effect of different live feed and dry feed on growth and survival of M. dayanum. The studies were conducted indoor in the plastic water troughs containing newly hatched larvae of Macrobrachium dayanum (hatched in laboratory from the brooders collected from Gho-Manhasa stream) were stocked at a density of 20 prawn larvae per trough having 10 litres of water. The increase in weights and lengths were used as measures of growth. The duration of the experiment was 45 days. Seven dietary treatments tested were viz., Artificial diet with 45% Protein (LFd1), Rotifers like Asplanchna and Brachionus (LFd2), Wild Zooplankton (LFd3), Bioenriched zooplanktons (raised on Chlorella, cod liver oil and vitamin C) (LFd4), Artemia (LFd5), Chironomus (LFd6), Oligochaetes (LFd7). Among different treatments it was observed that higher weight gain of the larvae of M. dayanum was attained on diet LFd7 (11.08±0.11 mg). The weight gain recorded was highest for diet LFD7 followed by other diets as LFd7>LFd5>LFd6>LFd4>LFd3>LFd2>LFd1. The survival percentage also showed a significant (P<0.05) variation during the present investigation. The maximum survival was recorded for LFd7 (98.33±2.88%). Protein content of the prawn after the treatment was found to be highest for LFd7 followed by LFd4.