Feeding for Strength: How Natural Diets Boost Mud Crab Growth and Protein | InformativeBD

Leilidyn Y Zurbano, from the institute of Philippines. Mary Lynn M Mariposque, from the institute of Philippines . Lyka M Buenaobra, from the institute of Philippines  and John Christopher Marquez from the institute of Philippines.  wrote a Research article about, Feeding for Strength: How Natural Diets Boost Mud Crab Growth and Protein. Entitled, Growth and protein content of mud crabs (Scylla serrata) fed with different natural feeds. This research paper published by the Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences | JBES. an open access scholarly research journal on Biodiversity. under the affiliation of the International Network For Natural Sciences| INNSpub. an open access multidisciplinary research journal publisher.

Abstract

Mud crab (Scylla serrata) farming is one of the main sources of livelihood in Calauag, Quezon. Commonly, they use trash fish as their major source of feeds for mud crabs. However, fluctuation on its prices happen because of supply and demand, thus the use of other natural feeds were conceptualized. This aimed to determine if there are significant differences on the weight, protein content and meat characteristics of mud crabs fed with different natural feeds. It also aimed to assess the profitability of mud crab farming in plastic cages using different natural feeds. The experiment was laid out in Complete Randomized Design with three treatments replicated thrice: T1 – trash fish, T2 – horn snail meat and T3 – yellow corn. Results revealed that mud crabs fed with horn snail had the highest weight and protein content as compared to the other treatments. Hence, had the highest ROI. While, in the sensory analysis of its meat characteristics, mud crabs fed with yellow corn had the highest mean which was rated as very much juicy, flavorful and very much acceptable.

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Introduction

Mud crab aquaculture has been practiced for many years in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines. It is based predominantly on capture and fattening of juvenile crabs from the wild. However, nowadays, mud crab farmers resort to culture of crablets also to be sold to other farmers. It is available in brackish coastal waters and estuaries and has a great potential for aquaculture. Crab culture and fattening are nevertheless, still in the trial stage in South Asia (Samarasinghe et al., 1992). However, some parts of the Philippines are into mud crab farming since they have experienced it to be profitable. Its prominence as an export commodity has also unlocked great opportunities for crab farming. The mud crab remains species with good potential for aquaculture due to its fast growth and good market acceptability and price. There have been rise in demand for the live mud crabs than the supply in the world market. Because of their delicacy and larger size, the live mud crabs are always in greater demand and fetch a higher price (Kathirvel, 1993). The high price of mud crabs provides a strong incentive for mud crabs fishing as it can be among the major source of income for the coastal people and contributes to the national income.

Mud crabs or ‘alimango’ in Filipino is considered one of the most important foods from the sea. Commonly, mud crab is fed with trash fish - marine fish having little or no market value as human food but used sometimes in the production of fish meal. Another type of feed is the telescope snail meat which is locally known as bagongon. Yellow corn, on the other hand, is sometimes used as feed which has the greater contribution in the growth and survival of different fishery products (Rabia, 2015). Since mud crabs in the locality uses only trash feeds as source of feeds and because of its fluctuating price in the market, the idea of using other natural feeds was conceptualized. Thus, this study aimed to determine the effects of different natural feeds on the weight, protein content and meat characteristics of mud crabs. Profitability using those natural feeds were also assessed.

This study would greatly benefit mud crab farmers since they will have now an option on what to give to the crabs to increase growth and eventually profit or to make their crabs more palatable and meaty. Moreover, consumers can be assured that the mud crabs are free from synthetic chemicals. The scope of the study was only limited to one growing period. The study was conducted from June 2019 to September 2019 at Calauag, Quezon.

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