A study of the nutritional requirements of school prawns Metapenaeus macleayi (Haswell) in some Australian brackish water farming ponds

Abstract

Three feeding trials were conducted in ponds where school prawns ( Metapenaeus macleayi) had access to food items arising from the natural productivity of the ponds and to artificial diets. Growth responses to dietary calcium and protein but not phosphorus were demonstrated. Increasing the level of dietary calcium in the range 5.0–20.0 g/kg depressed school prawn growth, whilst a similar increase in the total phosphorus level had no apparent effect on growth. When prawn tail meal was used as the major protein source in diets fed to school prawns within a pond, the optimum protein level appeared to be 270 g/kg. Pelleted chicken diets appeared to be as successful as several high protein diets (mussel meat, two trout diets and two experimental prawn diets) when fed as supplementary diets. The incorporation of a water stable binder into a pelleted trout diet and the feeding of this diet as a paste did not significantly improve school prawn growth.