Effect of Various Natural Diets on the Growth Performance of Scylla paramamosain in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS)

Abstract

The mud crab ( Scylla paramamosain ) represents a highly valued marine commodity native to mangrove habitats. At present, its commercial farming relies heavily on conventional techniques that are vulnerable to environmental fluctuations. This research aims to assess how different natural diets influence the growth metrics and survival rates of mud crabs housed in a Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS)- integrated crab apartment. The results indicated that the green mussel ( Perna viridis ) diet produced the largest absolute weight increase (92.50 g), significantly outperforming the Rasbora spp. diet (21.17 g) and the control group fed with Caranx leptolepis (63.33 g). Statistical evaluation using DMRT confirmed these significant dietary effects. Furthermore, the nearly 100% survival rate highlights that individualized rearing in an RAS apartment efficiently mitigates the cannibalistic nature of this species.