Growth performance and gonad maturation of giant freshwater prawn in monoculture, aquaponics and integrated multitrophic aquaculture systems

• Main Author: Nur Fadhilah Zainul Mustaffa
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English; English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: SH20.3-191 Aquaculture
• Online Access: https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/40542/1/24%20PAGES.pdf; https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/40542/2/FULLTEXT.pdf

This study aimed to measure the growth of giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) and green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) in aquaponic systems of different flow rates 0.6 L/min, 1.6 L/min, 2.6 L/min, and 3.6 L/min as the first experiment. While the other aim of the study is to investigate the growth performance and gonad maturation of M. rosenbergii in three different culture systems: Monoculture, Aquaponics, and Integrated Multi – Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) systems in 90 days in the second experiment. The relationship between different water flow rates and various M. rosenbergii systems of growth performance and gonad development can impact the systems' uptake of nutrients. Body weight gained (BWG), survival rate (SR), and specific growth rate (SGR) of M. rosenbergii were evaluated as the growth performance indicator. At the same time, gonad maturation was observed through histology. Besides, water quality variables such as temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), and dissolved nutrients (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and phosphate) were also monitored every week in each system. The result of different flow rates showed that there was a significant difference in mean (± S.E.) survival rate which is high in flow rate 1.6 L/min with the mean of 96.67 ± 0.26% compared to 0.6 L/min (84.33 ± 0.43%), 2.6 L/min (58.67 ± 1.96%) and 3.6 L/min (87.33 ± 0.43 %). The water flow rate for experiment 2 has been chosen based on the water flow rate that encouraged M. rosenbergii to grow at its maximum capacity in experiment 1. Results showed that the growth performance and gonad maturation of M. rosenbergii were significantly different (p<0.05) due to the water quality changes in the three culture systems. There was a significant difference in SR and SGR of M. rosenbergii. The mean (± S.E.) SR of males and females were high in the IMTA system, which was 81.48 ± 5.86 % and 73.15 ± 5.16 % compared to the Aquaponic system (62.94 ± 6.68 % and 50.00 ± 8.56 %) and Monoculture system (48.15 ± 9.80 % and 47.22 ± 8.44 %). The value of pH, DO, and temperature were not significant differences (p> 0.05), and there were significant differences (p<0.05) in ammonia, nitrite, and phosphate concentration. The lowest ammonia concentration was recorded in IMTA (0.23 ± 0.03 mg/L), followed by Monoculture (0.34 ± 0.03 mg/L) and Aquaponic (0.36 ± 0.03 mg/L). Results of histology of each system showed different stages of maturity, which were 50.00 % of females of stage V for ovarian in the IMTA system, 16.67 % for Aquaponic, and 8.33 % in the Monoculture system. As for the male M. rosenbergii, there was 66.67 % of stage IV in gonad maturation of IMTA and Monoculture and 33.33 % in the Aquaponic system. There was a significant difference in the diameter oocyte of stage V of female M. rosenbergii. The higher mean (± S.E.) diameter oocyte of stage V in ovarian recorded was 565.86 ± 14.81 μm in the IMTA compared to Aquaponic (483.53 ± 30.94 μm) and Monoculture (482.86 ± 38.98 μm). In conclusion, culturing M. rosenbergii in the IMTA system could enhance the growth performance and gonad maturation of M. rosenbergii; it could make it more economical regarding water usage and reduce wastewater disposal from the farming system.