GRADUAL REPLACEMENT OF FRESH FEED WITH FORMULATED DIET FOR SPINY LOBSTER Panulirus spp. WEANING  

Ibnu Sahidhir*, Syafrizal, Clive M. Jones, Syahrul, Mike Rimmer
 
Brackishwater Aquaculture Development Center Ujung Batee
Jl. Laksamana Malahayati Km 16, Aceh Province
ibnusahidhir@yahoo.com

Effective artificial diets for lobster have been formulated with some level of success. However, feeding practice management has received little attention. The objective of this study was to evaluate growth performance and survival of lobster pueruli which were adapted gradually to formulated diet. The experiment was conducted in a recirculation system with round rearing tanks 56cm in diameter and 46cm high. The lobster pueruli (mean weight 0.31g ± 0.01) were reared for 30 days, fed with one of 5 different strategies i.e. formulated diet only (FD), 10% fresh diet replacement per day (D1), 10% fresh diet replacement every 2 days (D2), 10% fresh diet replacement every 3 days (D3), and fresh diet only (fish, crab and mollusc). Results showed that growth performance was significantly affected by the treatments but not survival. This study suggested that 10% gradual replacement of fresh diet every three days generates the best growth performance. High mortality and moulting were evident in the first week, in the transition phase between puerulus to post puerulus stage. At the completion of the experiment, the remaining lobster population was dominated by Panulirus ornatus and P. homarus.