Abstract

Blue swimming crab is targeted by commercial fisheries because of the high economic value, good taste, and attractive colors. As a result, the stock is overexploited and fisherman catch market also juveniles. The most sustainable solution would be to stop fishing for commercial trade and to culture this crab from brood to market size. This study aimed to find the best feed and stocking density for the on-growing of crablets. In 20 tanks juvenile crabs with a carapace width±1 cm were stocked in three densities; 40, 60 and 80 crablets / m2, and fed ad-libitum twice a day with either trash fish or pellets of shrimp feed, for 8 weeks. The circular (ᴓ 1.6 m x 1 m) tanks with 1 m3 of water were aerated, and temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen and pH recorded daily. In the end, growth and survival rates were determined. In general, feeding the crablets at a density of 40 m-2 gave the highest growth. For crablest fed with pellets, the density of 40 m-2 gave significantly better growth than 80 m-2. The crablets at a density 40 m-2 having a fish diet with the density 40 m-2 grew better than 60 and 80 m-2. There was no significant difference between fed used among different densities. The lower densities resulted in higher survival, either on crablets fed with pellets or fish. But, crablets fed the fish diet and cultured in the lowest density (40 m-2) had the highest survival rate.

Highlights

  • Blue swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus) is one of the fishery commodities exported mainly to the United States of America, which reaches 60% of the total catch of crabs

  • Blue swimming crab is targeted by commercial fisheries because of the high economic value, good taste, and attractive colors

  • This study aimed to find the best feed and stocking density for the on -growing of crablets

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Summary

Introduction

Blue swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus) is one of the fishery commodities exported mainly to the United States of America, which reaches 60% of the total catch of crabs. Landings of this crab in 2014 reached 212.571 tonnes [1]. Crab commodities are ranked third or fourth of the total export value of Indonesian fishery products after shrimp, tuna, and seaweed. The number of blue swimming crab catch from the wild is declining and the cultivation of this species is an alternative to be developed. The introduction of the artificial hatchery and nursery P. pelagicus in Thailand [8] and Indonesia [9] is developing.

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