Question

Best live feed for the larvae of Macrobrachium rosenbergii is

• A. Copepods
• B. Artemia naupli
• C. Diatoms
• D. Cladocerans

Hint:

Live Feeds in Hatcheries:
Prawn Zoeae (Macrobrachium) $\rightarrow$ ARTEMIA NAUPLII.
Fish Spawn/Early Fry $\rightarrow$ ROTIFERS (Brachionus).
Shrimp Protozoea $\rightarrow$ DIATOMS (Chaetoceros, Skeletonema).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Prawn hatchery live feed nutrition: freshly hatched nauplii of the brine shrimp (Artemia salina) provide the optimal high-protein, HUFA-rich live prey size for developing scampi zoeae.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
In freshwater prawn hatchery management (larval scampi nutrition):
- From Zoea stage II onwards, M. rosenbergii larvae are active carnivorous visual raptorial predators.
- Freshly hatched Artemia Nauplii (Brine Shrimp Nauplii) constitute the best, most indispensable live feed for rearing scampi larvae due to their optimal microscopic size ($400 - 500\;\mu\text{m}$), slow continuous swimming motion (triggering predatory feeding reflexes), high protein digestibility, and rich content of essential highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA: EPA and DHA) and vitamins.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Thus, the best live feed is Artemia nauplii, matching option (B).