DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION OF DUNALIELLA SALINA ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND BODY COMPOSITION OF INDIAN WHITE SHRIMP FENNEROPENAEUS INDICUS (H MILNE EDWARDS)

Juveniles of white shrimp, Fenneropenaeus indicus were fed with a micro green alga, Dunaliella salina through a fishmeal based supplementary diet containing 35% protein for a period of 180 days in fiberglass tanks. There were control and treatments for the study and both were triplicated. D. salina was incorporated at 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 and 8.0% in the diet and was designated as treatments T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively. D. salina free diet was considered as Control. The diet containing D. salina at 2.0% (T3) showed significantly (p < 0.05) superior growth when compared to control and other treatments. Protein efficiency ratio and protein digestibility were found to be high in T3 and feed conversion efficiency was reduced. Better colour and taste were observed in D. salina fed shrimp compared to control. Crude protein, lipid, ash and nitrogen free extract (NFE) of the carcass did not show significant difference between control and treatments. Dietary administration of D. salina enhances growth and body colour in white shrimp F. indicus.