Suitability of artificial seawater and brine solution as media for culture of giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) larvae

Abstract

An experiment was conducted for a period of 42 days to evaluate the suitability of artificial
seawater and brine as media for culture of giant freshwater prawn larvae. Prawn larvae were reared under
three treatments with three replications. The treatments were: T1- brine solution, T2-artificial seawater-1
(complex formula) and T3-artificial seawater-2 (simple formula). The cost of 12 ppt brine water was
12US$/m3, artificial seawater-1 was 95US$/m3 and artificial seawater-2 was 71US$/m3. The survival rate of
prawn larvae was 56.45%, 55.63% and 55.78% for T1, T2 and T3respectively. There were no significant
differences (p<0.05) among the survival rates and metamorphosis time of different treatments. The
production cost in T1 (US$8.97) was significantly lower (p<0.05) (1000PL) followed by T2 (US$13.42) and
T3 (US$11.53). The results of this study revealed that brine solution is the bestlarvae culture media for an
inland prawn hatchery. Where brine solution is not available or costly, artificial seawater can be used for
prawn PL production. In this case simple formula of artificial seawater is more suitable than complex formula
due to low cost, well defined and easily replicated by farmers.