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Email the author (Login required) Feed particle size preference in white shrimp Penaeus vannamei larvae and early postlarvae
Submited: 2025-05-03 09:17:41 | Published: 2026-03-31 17:29:23
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3856/vol54-issue2-fulltext-3434
Abstract
Shrimp larval feed success depends not only on nutritional profile but also on its physical characteristics, and one of these properties is particle size. However, no clear criteria exist for selecting the appropriate size for each larval stage. Feed particle size significantly impacts shrimp growth performance and feed production costs. Therefore, the present study evaluates the effect of particle size on feed consumption in Penaeus vannamei larvae and early postlarvae. The extruded diet was crumbled and sieved into the following size ranges: <53, 53-106, 106-150, and 150-250 μm, and fed to larvae and early postlarvae for 30 min. Organismal feed particle size preference was determined using the feeding efficiency (FE) index (FE = feeding incidence × gut fullness). Feeding incidence values indicate that larvae from Protozoea III to Postlarvae 6 had the capacity to identify, capture, and ingest feed particles from <53 to 250 μm - no significant effect was detected by particle size. In contrast, particle size had a significant effect (P < 0.05) on feed intake, as indicated by gut fullness values. Larval stages had a greater ingestion capacity of particles smaller than 150 μm, while early postlarval stages showed increased gut fullness when fed on particles larger than 150 μm. In general, based on the FE results, feed particle sizes smaller than 150 μm are recommended for larval stages, and 150-250 μm for early postlarvae.
