Effects of culture systems on cellular biological characteristics, population growth, and biochemical composition of the marine diatom Chaetoceros muelleri for larviculture of the black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon Fabricius, 1798
Abstract
This study evaluated the effects of different culture systems on the biological characteristics, population growth, and biochemical composition of the marine diatom Chaetoceros muelleri, and assessed its effectiveness as a live feed for larvae of the black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon. The results showed that culture scale did not significantly affect diaton cell size, but was strongly associated with population growth, vertical distribution, and the accumulation of lipids and fatty acids, particularly EPA and ARA. In terms of the overall balance among evaluated parameters, the 20-L carboy culture system showed comparatively higher efficiency. In shrimp larviculture, microalgal feeding rations significantly influenced larval survival and growth, with treatment NT-2.4, corresponding to feeding rations of 300 and 200 ×10³ cells/ind/day during the Zoea and Mysis stages, respectively, producing the best performance from Zoea to PL1, although remaining lower than the control treatment. Overall, the findings confirm the high potential of C. muelleri as an important live feed source for black tiger shrimp hatchery production in Vietnam.