THE EFFECTS OF AN ARTIFICIAL COMMERCIAL FEED SUPPLEMENTATION ON LARVAL REARING AND CRABLET PRODUCTION OF MUD CRAB Scylla tranquebarica

The effects of an artificial commercial feed supplementation on larval rearing and crablet production of mud crab Scylla tranquebarica. In mass production of mud crab seeds, only rotifer and Artemia nauplii are usually fed to mud crab larvae rearing until the larvae develop to crablet stage. The supplementation of artificial commercial feed from zoea-3 stage is expected to supply an essential nutrient required for an optimum larval development. The research was aimed to determine the optimum dosage of commercial feed supplementation for a successful larval rearing to produce crablet in hatchery. Newly hatched larvae of mud crab were stocked at a density of 100 ind./L. The larvae were fed with rotifer and Artemia nauplii. Microbound artificial commercial feed sized 0.05) among treatments. However, the MOI of treatment A and B at day 21 ph was significantly higher (P