microdiet in post-larval culture of Indian white shrimp Fenneropenaeus indicus) and its effects on growth factorssurvival and resistance to salinity stress

In this study, post larvae were fed with different level of Artemia franciscana nauplii replacement (0%, 50%, 100%) with microdiet. Post-larvae were fed with experimental treatments from (PL1) stage to (PL11) stage. The results have shown that partial or complete replacement of live food with microdiet significantly decrease survival, total length, carapace length, weight and the number of spine over the rostrum of post-larvae (P<0.05). However, substitution of live food with microdiet had no negative effects on resistance to salinity stress (P>0.05). According to these using commercial microdiet is not a proper replacement for live food in post-larva culture and still there is a need for further studies regards nutritional requirement of shrimp larvae and post-larvae and diet manufacturing process.