Mud Crab (Scylla serrata) Fattening in Pen Culture System: Changes of Proximate Composition due to Fattening

Abstract

The study was conducted to know the crab fattening in pen system and to evaluate the changes of proximate composition of mud crab due to fattening. After fattening, proximate composition was analyzed to assess the changes of nutritional value. The average survival rates of male and female crab were 64.722 ± 1.204% and 65.889 ± 0.701% respectively. The mean specific growth rate (SGR) was 1.245 ± 0.334% (male) and 0.976 ± 0.152% (female). The average value of FCR was 5.833 ± 0.119 and production rate was 0.4116 ± 0.095 kg/m2. Due to fattening, the moisture content of mud crab was decreased from 77.747 ± 0.705 to 75.551 ± 1.537% in male and from 75.030 ± 0.370 to 74.332 ± 0.202% in female. The mean crude protein content of the male mud crab (Scylla serrata) with shell was decreased but in case of female it was increased. The mean crude lipid content of mud crab was increased from 0.420 ± 0.110 % to 1.113 ± 0.102% and 1.093 ± 0.110 to 2.208 ± 0.204% respectively both of male and female. During fattening period the mean ash content was also increased in male and female. In addition the study showed that the mean crude fibre content also increased from 1.162 ± 0.089 to 1.613 ± 0.580% and 1.556 ± 0.367 to 1.884 ± 0.020% respectively in male and female. Furthermore nitrogen free extract content increased from 0.838 ± 0.064 to 0.982 ± 0.238% in male and from 1.251 ± 0.421 to 1.682 ± 0.640% in female. It was observed that all the nutritional compositions were changed due to fattening.