EFFECT OF CARBOHYDRATE (STARCH) LEVEL IN PURIFIED DIETS ON THE GROWTH OF PENAEUS INDICUS

Abstract

Four purified diets were formulated using casein, gelatin, starch, fish oil,
groundnut oil, vitainins, minerals and cellulose. The carbohydrate in the dietsi
was increased from 10 to 40% Tay varying the starch content to study the effect
of dietary carbohydrate level on the growth, survival and food conversion of the
prawn Penaeus indicus The protein and the lipid contents were kept constant in
all the diets. Feeding experiments conducted in the laboratory on the juvenile
P. indicus indicated that the growth of prawn increased with increase in the dietary
carbohydrate level from 10 to 40% (P <; 0.01). The food-conversion efliciency
and the rate of Sfurvival improved with the increase of carbohydrate level in the
diet. The growth also increased with the increase of carbohydrate calorie ratio,
while it was better with lower protein carbohydrate ratio of the diets.