Replacing Artemia salina with bigeye scad (Selar crumenophthalmus) roe for larval rearing of giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii, De Man 1879)

Patcharee Kaeoprakan; Ram Chandra Bhujel; Somprasong Natetip

doi:10.22034/ijab.v13i5.2648

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Patcharee Kaeoprakan
nongmarine5@gmai.com
Aquaculture and Aquatic Resources Management (AARM), Department of Food, Agriculture and Bioresources (DFAB), School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD), Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Klong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand.
Ram Chandra Bhujel Aquaculture and Aquatic Resources Management (AARM), Department of Food, Agriculture and Bioresources (DFAB), School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD), Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Klong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand.
Somprasong Natetip Lukkungsetthi Co., Ltd., 82/90 Moo 1, Khlong Prawet, Ban pho District, Chachoengsao Province 24140, Thailand.

Vol. 13 No. 5 (2025): October

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October 25, 2025

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Bigeye scad, Selar crumenophthalmus, roe was studied as an alternative to costly Artemia during larval rearing (20 days) of Macrobrachium rosenbergii, followed by nursing (35 days). Four treatments with Artemia replacement at 0, 50, 75, and 100% were compared in 12 round-shaped plastic buckets (30 L), each stocking 2,400 larvae. All the larvae fed with 100% fish roe died after one week. Average survival of larvae fed with 0, 50, and 75% fish roe was 38.5±6.7, 36.5±1.6, and 33.6±0.9%, respectively, which were not significantly different. However, specific growth rate and gains in weight and length were similar in the group fed 50% fish roe compared with the control (0%). Therefore, a 50% replacement is recommended, although polynomial regression suggests that a 30.4% replacement might result in the highest survival rate (46.2%). Further research should be conducted using varying levels of replacement, ranging from 0 to 80%, to determine the economically optimal replacement level more precisely.

Kaeoprakan, P., Bhujel, R. C., & Natetip, S. (2025). Replacing Artemia salina with bigeye scad (Selar crumenophthalmus) roe for larval rearing of giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii, De Man 1879). International Journal of Aquatic Biology, 13(5), 104–116. https://doi.org/10.22034/ijab.v13i5.2648

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Ram Chandra Bhujel, Aquaculture and Aquatic Resources Management (AARM), Department of Food, Agriculture and Bioresources (DFAB), School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD), Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Klong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand.

Ram C. Bhujel is a distinguished alumnus of AIT where he completed MSc and PhD degrees in aquaculture. He is the sole author of two books, ‘A Manual for Tilapia Business Management’, and ‘Statistics for Aquaculture’. He teaches and guides post-graduate students and gets actively involved in research in the field aquaculture, fisheries and related disciplines. He has designed over 30 research and development projects funded by public and private donors, and implemented in many Asian and African countries. He has published over 40 journal papers, 14 books and book chapters,and more than 100 magazine articles and conference abstracts. Teaching and supervising under- and post-graduate students.He is the active member of Asian Fisheries Society and World Aquaculture Society. Contact: Bhujel@ait.asia.

Contribution in this paper, data analysis, editing and finalization of paper.

Somprasong Natetip, Lukkungsetthi Co., Ltd., 82/90 Moo 1, Khlong Prawet, Ban pho District, Chachoengsao Province 24140, Thailand.

Somprasong Natetip completed Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Marine Science from Kasetsart University, and Master’s degree in business administration (MBA) from Ramkhamhaeng University of Thailand. Currently, he serves as the CEO of Luk Samthi Setthi Co., Ltd. or the LST Farm located in Ban pho, District, Chachoengsao province of Thailand. His company began a business producing all-male Giant Freshwater prawn larvae in a closed system in 2017 . The all-male larvae grow fast and are free of virus i.e. specific pathogen free (SPF). Due to his success, he has won a national award “A Model Farmer Championship” for shrimp cultivation in 2021. He also received the 1st runner-up award for the “National Outstanding Farmer in Freshwater Aquaculture in 2022”. He has also received an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Aquaculture from Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-ok (2023) for his contribution to the sector. Currently, he serves as President of the Thai Shrimp Farmers Association. Contact email: Contribution in this paper: research idea, providing facilities and data collection

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