EFFECT OF RESTRICTED FEEDING ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND FEED UTILIZATION OF FRESHWATER PRAWN (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) IN POND AQUACULTURE SYSTEM

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of rate restricted feeding on the growth performance and feed utilization efficiency of prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) in improved traditional pond culture system. There was a control group (T2,) ad libitum of prawn) and two treatments which were 25% reduction(T2) and 50% reduction (T3) of artificial feed than control and each treatment were 25% reduction(T2) and 50% reduction (T3) of artificial feed than control and each treatment was triplicated. After nine experimental ponds (each was 120 m2) preparation, prawn PL was reared in the nursery pond for 45 days to become juvenile and the juvenile was then stocked in grow out at density of 2/m2. After 100 days of culture, the final mean weight was 16.14±8.2, 16.56±1.57 and 19.33±7.75 g for T1, T2 and T3 respectively. Higher SGR (2.89 % BW/d) was found in T3 which was significantly (p<0.05) higher than T1 (2.67 % BW/d) and T2 (2.72 %BW/d). Significantly (p<0.05) lowest survival rate (71%) was observed for T3 and highest survival rate (93%) was found forT1. The feed conversion efficiency (FCR) decreased significantly (p<0.05) with increasing feed restriction and lowest value (0.81) was observed for T3. The protein efficiency ratio (PER) and net apparent protein utilization (NPUa) found to increase with increasing feed restriction which indicates the better utilization of feed. The present study indicates that prawns are subjected to rate restriction of feeding condition was able to maintain the same and even high growth rate as control.