Experiments on scampi rearing with mussel extract incorporated diets

Culture of freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) to marketable size within short period is achieved by using growth promoters and feed additives in supplementary diets contributing 40-60% of operational cost. Hence, feed needs to be developed to attain higher growth and efficient feed conversion ratios. The use of feeding attractants in aquafeeds has received considerable attention in recent years to improve feed intake and feed efficiency, and to minimize feed wastage and water pollution. The feed attractant helps the growing animals in culture systems to approach the feed source. Taking this into consideration series of experiments were set up by dietary inclusion of freshwater mussel extract on the growth, survival and bioenergetic parameters in post larval rearing of freshwater prawn. The results of the experiments conducted for studying the growth, survival, bioenergetics and evaluation of dietary attactibility of freshwater mussel extract are presented and discussed.