POLYCULTURE OF Tilapia aurea AND Macrobrachium rosenbergii IN TEXAS1

Abstract
A study of polyculture was initiated at the Aquaculture Research Center, Texas A&M University, using Macrobrachium rosenbergii and monosex Tilapia aurea. These species were selected because of their current popularity in aquaculture and because their food preferences and patterns of behavior indicated no reason to expect serious competition. Shrimp were stocked at 11,000 per ha with or without fish (2000 per ha) for observation from June 1 to October 15. The effect of pre‐treatment of ponds with inorganic fertilizer was also studied. Each pond was supplied with equal amounts of Experimental Marine Ration 25 (Ralston‐Purina Co.).Mean survival of fish and shrimp was 96 and 95.7%, respectively. Fish grew to a mean weight of 182 g while shrimp in polyculture grew to 24.5 g and 27.5 g in monoculture. Average daily growth increments were 1.37 g for fish and 0.21 g for shrimp.Neither growth nor survival of fish or shrimp were influenced by pre‐treatment of ponds with fertilizer in this study.

This publication has 4 references indexed in Scilit: