Effect of practical diets with different levels of crude protein on the survival and growth of the shrimp Farfantepenaeus paulensis (Pérez-Farfante, 1967)

Abstract

The present study evaluated the survival and growth performance of the pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus paulensis (Peréz- Farfante, 1967) fed practical diets containing increasing crude protein (CP) levels. Shrimp juveniles were reared for 28 days in a seawater recirculation system composed of 24 tanks filled with 40 liters. Each experimental unit was stocked with 30 juveniles with an initial mean weight (SD) of 0.23g (0.08). A completely randomized experimental design was applied with six dietary treatments (diets containing 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50% crude protein) and four replicates. Data were submitted to one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Duncan’s test. Differences were considered significant at 5%. Results indicate that a diet containing 40% CP resulted in a higher survival rate (mean of 93.8%), which, however, was not significantly different to the dietary treatments of 30, 35 and 50% CP (mean survival of 91.1, 89.2 and 85.8%, respectively). Survival in the dietary treatments of 25, 30, 35, 45 and 50% CP were not significantly different. Although shrimp fed the diet containing 45% CP presented the highest mean final weight (0.87 g) and weight gain (0.62 g), these were not significantly different to the shrimp fed the 50% CP diet, which, in turn, had no significant differences to the dietary treatments of 25, 30, 35 and 40% CP. Results indicate that shrimp juveniles presented a superior performance when fed practical diets containing 45% crude protein, hence this protein level is recommended when F. paulensis ranging in size between 0.2–0.9 g are maintained under intensive rearing conditions.