Mass seed production of Macrobrachium idae (Heller, 1862)

Abstract

In the present study, the mass larval culture experiments were carried out from naturally collected berried females and also unilateral eyestalk ablated females. The fecundity was more in the naturally collected berried females. It was ranged between 6,270 to 22,420.60. Comparatively the fecundity was little bit low in the eyestalk ablated females. It was ranged between 6,186.66 to 22,140.31. The hatching rate was maximum in the naturally collected berried females (96.89%). It was less (93.21%) in the eyestalk ablated females. The incubation period for naturally collected females was 14.04 days and it was 14.86 days in eyestalk ablated females. The larval cycle was completed within 41.02 days in naturally collected berried female. Whereas it was 42.22 days in eyestalk ablated females. The survival rate of hatchlings was higher in naturally collected brooder (73.34%) and it was less (69.67%) in the eyestalk ablated females. In general survival rate of seeds is more than 70%. The seed production technology followed in the present study is very simple and highly suitable for small scale farmers. So it is suggested that M. idae will be a one of the alternative species for the bigger sized prawns (M. rosenbergii and M. malcomsonii) in freshwater aquaculture to meet the demand of high nutritional food in a cost effective manner. © 2013 Sudhakar S, et al.