Fattening of Mangrove Crab Scylla serrata Fed with Two Different Diets (Stingray and Trash Fish)

Abstract

Fattening of mangrove crab S. serrata has been practiced in the Philippines and is considered ecologically sustainable. Trash fish is one of the best natural foods for fattening crab cultures. Meanwhile, stingray also contains plentiful proteins; however, they are not economically valuable in the southern Philippines, causing them to be discarded by most people owing to their unpleasant taste. Considering this, this study aimed to determine the effects of two different diets on mangrove crab fattening using modified plastic cages in mangroves. The experiment was conducted at Sitio Sindang, Indanan, Sulu, Philippines, for 30 days fattening period. Adult crabs (n=12) weighing 100 to 110 grams were reared in modified plastic cages measuring 17 cm x 24.5 cm x 6 cm. Plastic cages were partitioned into six compartments; each contained one crab. Two types of experimental feed, namely: stingray (Taeniura sp.) (chopped stingray) as Treatment 1 and trash fish (Sardinella sp.) (entrails of fish and chopped trash fish) as Treatment 2, were given to the experimental crabs. The amount of feed given to the crab was calculated based on the 10% body weight. The result showed that the use of stingrays as a source of feed was significantly higher (p>0.05) in the weight of mangrove crabs during the early ten days; however, the superiority disappeared after 30 days. Both treatments did not significantly (p<0.05) affect the survival performance of mangrove crabs. In addition, the specific growth rate of Treatment 1 (0.25 ± 0.20% day-1) was significantly different than Treatment 2 (-0.70 ± 0.27 % day-1) after 30 days. During the experiment, some uncontrollable factors, such as cheliped disintegration, were encountered that may have influenced the outcome, which reduced crab weight. Thus, this study suggests that stingrays might be useful as a source of food for the fattening of mangrove crab S. serrata. However, future studies are needed to validate the study’s results.

Keywords

• Fattening
• mangrove crab
• modified plastic cage
• Scylla serrata

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