Effects of different feeding levels and frequencies on growth performance, feed utilization, survival and body composition of the freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man, 1879).

A 12-week randomized factorial design 3 x 4 x 2 (three feeding levels, four feeding frequencies, and two replicates) rearing trial was conducted in glass aquariums with an average initial weight of  0.014 ± 0.01 g/ pL₂₅ and an average initial length of 1.10 ± 0.12 cm/ of freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii. The study was conducted to examine the effects of three feeding levels and four feeding frequencies on growth performances, survival rate % feed utilization and body composition. Three feeding levels of 3, 5 and 10% of daily recorded body weight and four feeding frequencies were performed; once/day at 9.00 h, twice/day at 9.00 and 20.00h, thrice/day at 9.00, 15.00 and 21.00h, and four times/day at 9.00, 13.00, 17.00 and 21.00h. The results revealed that, mean final weight (g/animal), mean final length (cm/animal), gain in weight (g/animal), gain in length %, SGR and survival rate % were significantly (P£ 0.01) increased with increasing feeding level and exhibited the highest values at the 5% feeding level. While, feed conversion ratio, feed efficiency ratio, protein efficiency ratio and feed intake (g/animal) were significantly (P £ 0.01) the best at the 3% feeding level.  Feeding frequency affected the growth performance values significantly which increased with increasing feeding frequencies and had the best values at the feeding frequency of 3 times daily. Interaction between feeding levels and feeding frequencies in all parameters was studied. Results concluded that feeding levels of 5% body weight daily at feeding frequencies of 3 times daily for freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, juveniles exhibited the highest growth performance, survival rate % and the best feed utilization parameters. In this context, it seems to be the most desirable feeding level and frequency under these experimental conditions.