GROWTH AND SURVIVAL OF SWIMMING CRAB (Portunuspelagicus) LARVAE FED OMEGA-3 ENRICHED ARTEMIA

Abstract

Highly unsaturated fatty acid particularly DHA and EPA play important role in survival and growth of swimming crab larvae. The objective of the present study is to determine effect of Omega-3 Enriched Artemia on survival and growth of swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus) larvae from megalopa to crablet-1
stage. Megalopae stage larvae obtained from natural spawning of a mature berried female kept in hatchery. The megalopae were stocked at 5 ind/L using 130 L capacity of red color plastic buckets, filled with 100 L of 30 ppt salinity of sterile treated seawaters. Live feed using in this experiment was newly hatch artemia  enriched with omega-3 rich powder containing both Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA). Enrichment concentration examined were 75 mg/L (B), 150 mg/L (C), 225 mg/L (D) and unenriched artemia as control (A).