POND CULTURE OF <i>Penaeus monodon</i> IN THE PHILIPPINES: SURVIVAL, GROWTH AND YIELD USING COMMERCIALLY FORMULATED FEED

Abstract

ABSTRACT Pond culture of Penaeus monodon was undertaken in the Philippines using artificially formulated dry feed and hatchery‐produced post‐larval shrimp. The trial was conducted in two 0.25‐ha managed production ponds with earthen bottoms and concrete dikes. Water depth was 1.1 m; brackish water was used and the salinity ranged from 7 to 17 ppt. For the trial, from 22 June 1982 to 6 October 1982 (106 days), the ponds were stocked at 158,000 postlarvae/ha and produced, respectively, 4,008 kg/ha and 3,808 kg/ha of heads‐on shrimp averaging 31.5 g and 31.3 g in size. Survival in the respective ponds was 80% and 77% with food conversions of 1.69 and 1.78. Based on the costs for postlarvae, feed, labor and power, the shrimp were produced with a positive economic return. The production costs per kilo of whole shrimp produced in each pond were, respectively, US$4.40/kg and $4.63/kg. The entire crop of shrimp was sold heads‐on for an average price of $6.78/kg.