Feeding and larval growth of an exotic freshwater prawn Macrobrachium equidens (Decapoda: Palaemonidae), from Northeastern Pará, Amazon Region

Abstract

In the present study, we carried out experiments on the diet of the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium equidens. We tested which type of food and which density of food is suitable for larval development. For the experiment on the type of food, eight treatments were carried out: (I) starvation, (AL) microalgae, (RO) rotifers, (AN) Artemia, (RO + AN) rotifers + Artemia, (AL + RO) microalgae + rotifers, (AL + AN) microalgae + Artemia, (AL + RO + AN) microalgae + rotifers + Artemia. For the experiment on the density of food, we used the type of food, which had resulted in a high survival rate in the previous experiment. Three treatments were carried out: 4, 8 and 16 Artemia nauplii /mL. The rate of feeding during larval development was observed. The survival, weight and percentage of juveniles of each feeding experiment were determined. We found that larvae are carnivores; however, they have requirements with respect to the type of food, because larvae completed their cycle from the zoeal to the juvenile stage only when Artemia nauplii were available. We also verified that the larvae feed mainly during the day-time, and are opportunistic with respect to the density of food offered.

EFEITO DE INANIÇÃO NOS PRIMEIROS ESTÁDIOS LARVAIS DOS CAMARÕES DE ÁGUA DOCEMacrobrachium acanthurus E Macrobrachium olfersii (CRUSTACEA: DECAPODA: PALAEMONIDAE), EM LABORATÓRIO

“…As larvas de M. olfersii morreram no estádio tica também são responsáveis por alta mortalidade (MORGAN, 1995 (CHOUDHURY, 1971b), M. dayanum (BAKHTIYAR et al, 2015), M. equidens (GOMES et al, 2014), M. holthuisi (MOREIRA et al, 1979), M. jelskii (ROCHA et al, 2016) …”

“…No presente estudo, as larvas desta espécie sobreviveram até 10 dias e as de M. olfersii, até 12 dias. Larvas de M. carcinus, M. dayanaum e M.equidens sobreviveram respectivamente até 15, 10 e 11 dias em inanição (CHOU-DHURY, 1971b;GOMES et al, 2014;BAKHTIYAR et al, 2015). À exceção de M. equidens, todas estas espécies morreram no estádio zoé II, quando privadas de alimento.…”

SOBRE A ALIMENTAÇÃO DE LARVAS DO CAMARÃO DE ÁGUA DOCE Macrobrachium rosembergii

“…However, there is a general consensus that the larvae should be fed in the evening or early night, indicating a nocturnal feeding pattern in the larvae. However, there is no evidence that the larvae feed more at night, and in fact, daytime feeding appears to be the norm in the larvae of other Macrobrachium species, such as M. equidens (Dana 1852) and M. amazonicum (Heller 1862), even though the nauplii are supplied only at night (MACIEL et al, 2012;GOMES et al, 2014).…”

Intake of different food sources in the first zoeae stages of Macrobrachium tenellum (Decapoda: Palaemonidae)

“…However, Artemia nauplii constitute the main live food source in commercial crustacean larviculture (Barros & Valenti, 2003a) and are commonly used in the larviculture of M. rosenbergii (Levens et al, 2000;Barros & Valenti, 2003b;Nhan et al, 2010). Similarly, a b Gomes et al (2014) mentioned that it is possible to feed the postlarvae of M. equids feed with Artemia nauplii. It is worth noting that the first larvae of M. rosenbergii (2.2 mm) (Levens et al, 2000) and M. equidens (1.9-2 mm) (Ngoc-Ho, 1976) are larger than the zoea I of M. tenellum (1.5-1.7 mm).…”