Larviculture and Growth Dynamics of Freshwater Prawns
Summary
Larviculture of freshwater prawns encompasses the controlled rearing of larvae through successive zoeal stages to the postlarval phase, during which growth dynamics are influenced by nutrition, water quality and stocking density. Typical hatchery practice begins with the collection of berried females and continues under regulated temperature and salinity regimes. Larvae pass through multiple zoeal instars before metamorphosing into the decapod postlarva, a process highly dependent on the provision of live feed such as Artemia nauplii during early stages and the gradual introduction of formulated diets. Growth dynamics are often assessed by measuring survival rate, development time, weight gain and feed conversion ratio. Beyond hatchery systems, juveniles and sub-adults exhibit somatic growth driven by protein-rich diets, optimal ration allocation and minimisation of ammonia build-up in recirculating aquaculture systems. Advances in understanding of physiological requirements, coupled with intensification strategies, have enabled greater production efficiency. Such developments bear global significance as freshwater prawns support both rural livelihoods and commercial aquaculture expansion, offering a sustainable source of protein and contributing to rural economies through value-added processing and trade.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Larviculture and Growth Dynamics of Freshwater Prawns publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in larviculture and growth dynamics of freshwater prawns across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Larviculture: The captive rearing of aquatic larvae through successive developmental stages under controlled environmental and nutritional conditions.
Postlarva: The stage following the final zoeal instar, characterised by juvenile morphology and capacity for benthic settlement.
Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS): An intensive culture system that filters and reuses water, maintaining optimal physicochemical conditions and reducing environmental discharge.
Artemia nauplii: Newly hatched brine shrimp larvae widely used as live feed for marine and freshwater crustacean larvae due to their suitable size and nutritional profile.
Feed conversion ratio (FCR): A measure of feed efficiency, calculated as the mass of feed required to produce a unit mass of biomass gain.
References
- Effects of feeding strategy on larval development of the Amazon River prawn Macrobrachium amazonicum. Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia (2017).
- Feeding and larval growth of an exotic freshwater prawn Macrobrachium equidens (Decapoda: Palaemonidae), from Northeastern Pará, Amazon Region. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências (2014).
- Intensification of Amazon River Prawn Hatchery. Fishes (2024).
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.