The effects of adding microbial biomass to grow-out and maturation feeds on the reproductive performance of black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon

A 40-day reproductive performance trial was conducted to assess the effect of targeted supplementation of Penaeus monodon broodstock grow-out and maturation diets with microbial biomass (MB). Over a seven month grow-out period, shrimp were fed a typical pelleted grow-out diet with or without 10% MB. Broodstock were then transferred to a maturation facility and a subset of animals from each grow-out diet fed on a typical fresh-frozen maturation diet that included a pellet ration with or without 30% MB (5.5% of total diet fed). At nine months of age, female broodstock were unilaterally eyestalk-ablated and reproductive assessments commenced. No significant difference in ovary maturation, hepatosomatic index, spawning and egg and nauplii production parameters was found between diet treatments (p = > 0.05). However, females originating from control ponds displayed a higher gonadosomatic index at first spawn, whilst the percentage of eggs that hatched was lower in females fed a MB-inclusive maturation diet (p = < 0.05). These results indicate that the inclusion of MB within broodstock grow-out and maturation diets (at the rates presented in this study) did not enhance reproductive performance of domesticated broodstock.