Effects of Different Types of Moina Preparation On The Growth and Survival of Giant Freshwater Prawn Post-Larvae, Macrobarchium rosenbergii (De Man, 1879)
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii is an economically important aquaculture species, with post-larval nutrition playing a critical role in early growth and survival. This study evaluated the effects of different Moina feed preparations on the growth performance and survival of M. rosenbergii post-larvae (PL10). A 14-day feeding trial was conducted using a randomized complete block design with four dietary treatments: commercial pellet (control), frozen Moina, freeze-dried Moina, and live Moina, each in triplicate. A total of 552 post-larvae (initial weight ≈ 0.01 g) were stocked and fed daily at 20% body weight. Growth performance was assessed through mean weight gain (MWG) and specific growth rate (SGR), while survival rate was recorded at the end of the experiment. Post-larvae fed with live Moina exhibited significantly higher MWG (0.024 ± 0.004 g) and SGR (8.741 ± 1.15% day⁻¹) compared to those fed commercial pellets and freeze-dried Moina (P < 0.05), and showed comparable performance to frozen Moina. Survival was also highest in the live Moina group (35.3 ± 1.0%). The superior performance of live Moina is likely attributed to its higher palatability, nutritional availability, and movement-induced feeding response. These findings indicate that live Moina is a promising and effective live feed for improving growth and survival of M. rosenbergii post-larvae
Institution: Fisheries Research Institute
Language: English
Subfield: Aquatic Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7202097958