A semi-purified test diet for Macrobrachium rosenbergii and the lack of need for supplemental lecithin

Post-larval Macrobrachium rosenbergii were reared for 12 weeks at 27°C in a recirculated aquatic system on semi-purified diet supplemented with between 0 and 10% lecithin. No significant differences were detected in either the weight gain or mortality rates of the prawn reared on the different test diets and no sign of ‘molt death syndrome’ was observed in any of the prawn. It was concluded that supplemental lecithin is not required in the semi-purified diet developed for Macrobrachium rosenbergii when cultured under the experimental conditions of this study. The semi-purified diet formulated in this study would appear to be an adequate test diet to determine many of the qualitative and quantitative nutrient requirements of Macrobrachium rosenbergii. However, the best weight gain of the prawn was on a practical-type diet indicating that further refinement of the test diet formulation may be required.