Rearing of the Cauque Prawn under Laboratory Conditions

Abstract

Postlarvae of the cauque prawn Macrobrachium americanum were reared for 4 months under laboratory conditions at 20°C and 33°C. Four hundred 50‐d‐old postlarvae were stocked into eight 70‐L aquaria. A balanced commercial feed containing 40% protein was supplied daily at 9–20% of body weight during the first 2 months and at 3–5% of body weight during the final 2 months. Live brine shrimp Artemia spp. were also provided as food. The growth of the cauque prawns was greater at 33°C than at 20°C but did not differ significantly over the study period. Knowledge of cauque prawn rearing requirements under artificial conditions is important for the production of juveniles as stock for large‐scale prawn culture.

Effect of Stocking Size on Growth Performance, Biomass, Production, Yield, and Survival of Caridean Shrimp Cage‐Cultured in a Pond System

“…The differences exhibited among these studies can be partially explained by the differences in the culture conditions, such as food, stocking size, and the type of culture system. Arana-Magallón and Ortega-Salas (2004) found that postlarvae growth of 2-3 g weight was isometric (3.02-3.05); in our study, the allometric growth condition (2.89) was reached with animals from 5 to 85 g, demonstrating that the prawns presented relatively good growth for all stocked sizes. However, when analyzing the relationship per each stocking size, the slope of the length-weight relationship decreased (Table 2), possibly indicating a change in condition caused by a variation in growth rate.…”

Effect of dietary protein content on growth rate, survival and body composition of juvenile cauque river prawn,Macrobrachium americanum(Bate 1868)

“…The low weight gain may be due to fasting during moulting and the use of protein reserves for the new exoskeleton. Arana‐Magallón and Ortega‐Salas () report that cauque river prawns under laboratory conditions had a slower growth rate than the giant river prawn M. rosenbergii (70–280 days) under similar conditions. The cauque river prawn often has heterogeneous growth and slower development (García‐Guerrero & Apun‐Molina ), but market size specimens can be produced in captivity (Arana‐Magallón & Ortega‐Salas ).…”

“…Juvenile prawns were initially fed at a rate of 10% of biomass day −1 (Cortés‐Jacinto et al . ; Arana‐Magallón & Ortega‐Salas ). Each day, 40% of the feed was supplied at 09:00 h and 60% at 17:00 h. Feed intake was determined by feeding to apparent satiation (Cortés‐Jacinto, Villarreal‐Colmenares, Civera‐Cerecedo & Naranjo‐Páramo ; Cortés‐Jacinto et al .…”

“…In the Americas, where this genus is diverse, large areas are suitable for freshwater aquaculture, and social and economic conditions are comparable to those in Asia, where M. rosenbergii has been cultivated with success. After the development of suitable technology, native species should provide good yields on a sustainable basis (Arana‐Magallón & Ortega‐Salas ; Mantellato & Barbosa ; Ross et al . ; Martínez‐Córdova et al .…”