| The quantitiative requirements for protein have been determined in P. serratus reared from the post-larval stage to the 4th month. It appears that the apparent optimum percentage of protein in the diet is a minimum of 60%. At the 8th month, the mean wt of prawn reared with the best artificial diet (diet IV) is only 49% of the wt of shrimp reared with the digestive gland of Patella as a diet. The prawns reared to 4th month on a low-protein diet then reared on a natural diet until the 8th month, show important compensatory growth. However, the prawns do not achieve the wt of the control population, their average wt representing only 16% of the controls. |
