Effect of different temperatures on food consumption of juveniles shrimp Metapenaeus affinis (H. Milne Edwards, 1837)

Abstract

This study is based on rearing of juveniles of the shrimp Metapenaeus affinis collected from shatt Al-Ararb in Garmmat Ali river. The period of juveniles existence during the study was found extend from November to July in 2008. During the catch and the transportation of shrimps from the field to laboratory in rearing ponds. Several essential experiments were conducted aiming to understand the feeding habit and food preference of juveniles. Three temperatures were tested (15, 20 and 25 °C) for food consumption. In both cases (i.e. the live food Artemia franciscana and the artificial diet), the food consumption was highest at 25 °C. However, direct increase was found between temperatures and food consumption at this temperature. The elementary canal fullness and was excretion at the three temperatures was examined too. The time (minutes) was found to be shorter when shrimps feed on A. franciscana (live food) compared with the artificial diet, the value were 51.4 - 194.15 for A. franciscana between 15 °C and 25 °C, while were 56.6 - 202.05 for artificial diet at similar that temperatures.

Keywords

• Metapenaeus affinis
• different temperatures
• food consumption
• juveniles shrimp