Larval rearing of Scylla serrata Forskal: The effect of Artemia salima and Brachionus plicatilis as food on the growth and survival of zoea

Abstract

A study was conducted to find out tile effects of Artemia, Brachionus and a combination of Anemia and Brachionus as food on the survival of mudcrab Scylla serrata Forskal zoea and the ability of the zoea to metamorphose to megalopa stage. The study composed of three experiments. Each experiment lasted for 21 days. Results showed highest mean percent survival (66.7±2.03) on zoea fed with a combination of Anemia and Brachionus at a feeding density of 5 individuals/ml each. When the density of Brachionus was increased from 5 individuals/ml to 12 individuals/ml in the combination diet, there was an increase in the survival of the zoea to 68.9±2.41. Highest metamorphosis from zoea to megalopa was also obtained on those fed with a combination of Anemia and Brachionus. This combination diet also gave the shortest number of days for the zoea to metamorphose to the next stage which also resulted to the least number of days for megalopa production to start. The study also revealed that larvae ted with a combination of Anemia and Brachionus reared at 30 ppt salinity got high survival on the first three days of culture, however starting on the 4th day up to the 15th day of culture, those reared at 28 ppt obtained higher survival although not statistically different from the other salinities tested.