OPEN ACCESS International Journal of Aquatic Science ISSN: 2008-8019 Vol. 7, No. 2, 87-94, 2016 () rossita@ums.edu.my Effects of different protein sources in the broodstock diet on reproductive performance of giant freshwater prawn ( Macrobrachium rosenbergii ) Nik Nurhusna Nik Sin, Annita Yong Seok Kian and Rossita Shapawi* Borneo Marine Research Institute, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Received: January-10-2016 Accepted: Febuaru-19-2016 Published: June-25-2016 Abstract: The experiment was designed to study the effects of different protein sources on reproductive performance and offspring quality of Macrobrachium rosenbergii in a 180-day feeding trial. Each tank was stocked with four females and one male (wet weight: 21-35g). Five isonitrogeneous (40%) and isolipidic (10%) diets were formulated to contain either fishmeal (FM), shrimp meal (SHM), squid meal (SQM), bivalve meal (BVM) or a mixture of SHM, SQM and BVM (MIX). The prawns were fed at 3% of body weight, three times daily (0800h, 1200h and 1700h). Prawn fed with diet MIX attained the highest fecundity (1449.52±64.15 egg/g female) followed by BVM (1308.53±40.41 egg/g female), SQM (1085.73±62.92 egg/g female), FM (924.84±67.75 egg/g female) and SHM (875.74±28.14 egg/g female). The fecundity of prawn fed diets MIX and BVM was significantly higher (P<0.05) than those fed SQM, FM and SHM diets. The largest egg diameter was also found in MIX diet (0.567±0.005mm) and this value was significantly larger (P<0.05) than the FM diets. In general, survival rate of larvae in all diets is very high ranging from 95.06% to 99.71%. The present study revealed that formulated diet based on shrimp, squid and bivalve meal mixture can be successfully used in the breeding program of M. rosenbergii. Key Word: protein, reproductive performance, Macrobrachium rosenbergii Introduction The giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) is an important aquaculture species in Asia because of its high commercial value, good meat quality and taste, adaptability in captive conditions and tolerance to wide range of salinity and tempera- ture (Gupta et al., 2007). The global production of giant freshwater prawn, M. rosenbergii was estimated at 229 419 tonnes in 2009 with China, Thailand and Bangladesh being the main producers. Production in Malaysia is relatively small compared to other Asian countries but expanded significantly since 2006 (New and Nair 2012). Giant freshwater prawn culture is dependent on wild-caught broodstock, making it susceptible to a variable quality of seed. Broodstock diet plays a major role in influencing the success of hatchery production by affecting the reproductive performance (egg production, fertilization rate, egg quality, embryo development) and offspring quality (Millamena and Quinitio, 2000). In most cases, hatchery managers are dependent on fresh or frozen food to culture the broodstock with trash fish, squid, clam, muscle, shrimp and marine polychaete worms being commonly used. Unfortunately, fresh food are commonly associated with unreliable supply and fluctuated price, inconsistent nutritional value, need to be frozen, and can easily deteriorate water quality and increased risk for contamination (Wouters et al., 2002). The use of formulated feeds in the broodstock stage has some advantages such as to provide reliable supply of feed with known nutrient content and minimize preparation time (Marsden et al., 1997), ease of feeding management and reduce the risk of contamination (Braga et al., 2010). Little studies were done to evaluate the performance of formulated broodstock diets in M. rosenbergii. Fortunately, major nutrients requirement such as protein and lipid have been determined in this species (Cavalli et al., 2000; Das et al., 1996), making it possible to formulate a species-specific feed. In the present study, the effects of different protein sources in the formulated broodstock diets on fecundity performance and larvae quality of the prawn were evaluated. Materials and methods Experimental Broodstock