Growth of Juvenile Freshwater Prawn Macrobrachium malcolmsonii Fed with Isonitrogenous Diets Containing Different Biowastes

The feed evaluation experiments on juvenile prawns, Macrobrachium malcolmsonii (1.82 (plus-minus)0.22, 1.82 (plus-minus) 0.03, 1.82 (plus-minus) 0.03, 1.82 (plus-minus) 0.03, 1.83 (plus-minus) 0.03 g size) were done. Five diets (all diets contained 30% crude protein isonitrogenous diet) with different principal sources of protein, viz. silkworm pupae (SKP), trash fishmeal (TFM), squilla (SQM), soybean (SBM), and Eichhornea (ECM) were formulated and fed to prawns in the form of pelleted diet to evaluate their suitability. The experiments were run for 60 days and growth was determined every 14 days. At the end of the experimental study period growth, feed conversion ratio (FCR), specific growth rate, percentage of feedings rate, feed efficiency and survival were determined for prawns in each dietary treatment. Among the above five feeds low conversion ratio occurs in SKP followed by ECM, SBM, and SQM and the least growth and FCR occurred for prawns fed the diet containing the TFM. Levels of the essential fatty acids such as linoleic acid, linolenic acid and arachidonic acid were higher in the diet containing SKP than in other diets. It was concluded that the most suitable feed contained in SKP (which was used as a major ingredient). Therefore, the inclusion of SKP in the preparation of pellet diets for the freshwater prawn is recommended.