Premium
Biofloc technology application as a food source in a limited water exchange nursery system for pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis (Latreille, 1817)
Author(s) -
Emerenciano Maurício,
Ballester Eduardo L C,
Cavalli Ronaldo O,
Wasielesky Wilson
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
aquaculture research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.646
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1365-2109
pISSN - 1355-557X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2109.2011.02848.x
Subject(s) - biology , shrimp , litopenaeus , zoology , microorganism , food science , biomass (ecology) , stocking , bacteria , botany , ecology , genetics
In a 30‐day experiment, Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis PL 25 (25 ± 10 mg; 17.9 ± 1.6 mm) were raised in nine circular floating cages with a stocking density of 1000 shrimp m −3 . Three treatments were evaluated: (1) culture in BFT system plus a commercial feed supply (BFT+CF); (2) culture in BFT system without feed supply (BFT) and (3) culture in clear water with feed supply (control). Post‐larvae (PL) final weight (218.9, 236.5 and 176.0 mg, for BFT+CF, BFT and control respectively), final biomass (17.9, 15.7 and 8.2 g) and weight gain (193.9, 211.5 and 151.0 mg) were similar in the BFT regardless of whether they were fed a commercial diet ( P >0.05), but were both significantly higher than the control ( P <0.05). Survival (81.5%, 67.0% and 84.8% respectively) and final length did not differ between treatments ( P >0.05). The biofloc analysis identified five main microorganism groups: protozoa (ciliate and flagellate), rotifers, cyanobacteria (filamentous and unicellular) and pennate diatoms. Free living bacteria and attached bacteria in bulk were 25.73 ± 8.63 and 0.86 ± 3.17 × 10 6 mL −1 respectively. Proximate analysis in the biofloc indicated high levels of crude protein (30.4%). Results confirmed favourable nutritional quality of biofloc, and enhanced growth and production of F. brasiliensis PL in biofloc systems.