Efficiency of Algal oil as a Feed Ingredient for the Development of Maturation Diet for the Spent Penaeus monodon (Fabricius) Spawners

This study designed to understand the effect of Algal oil as feed ingredients to attain reproductive success in the spent spawners of P. monodon. Five diets prepared were D1, D2, and D3 with 2.5%, 5% and 7.5% algal oil respectively, reference diet with fish oil and negative control diet without fish oil. The results showed that the maturation diet increased the moulting frequency and shortened the time of full maturation of the ovary. In D2 fed spawners, the duration of spawnings was minimized and the fecundity was also increased and the Gonado Somatic Index was also high. Compared with control diet, the abortive spawning and gaped ovary formed was also less in algal oil based diet (D2). D2 fed spawners also enhanced the percentage of the formed eggs, fertilized eggs and their hatching and also showed maximum prophenoloxidase activity. Though the reference diet had influenced in all reproductive parameters, the success was inferior to the experimental algal diet. The algal oil (5%) based diet was found to be very efficient in the reproductive success of spent spawners and therefore this diet can be used for the recycling of spent spawners.