Study on handling stress in Macrobrachium Rosenbergii Post Larvae during transportation

Macrobrachium rosenbergii is one of the most commercially-important freshwater prawn species in the countries where it is indigenous or even beyond. Once harvested, it is important to maintain the quality of the PL by a careful packaging and transportation. Any trauma and stress associated with handling and transport of post larvae (FL) will affect survival and overall quality of the PL and resulted in decreased prawn production and increased cost. An experiment was carried out to study the factors that contribute to the stress of PL during transportation and to determine the optimum conditions to transport the the PL. This study evaluated the effect of temperature, stocking density and water clarity on post-larvae transport survival. The experiment was designed to evaluate factors which were temperature (with ice (23°C) and without ice (25°C), stocking density (60, 70, and 80 PL) and water clarity (cleared and colored water). Water quality analysis was performed prior to stocking, during transportation and after reach UMK Jeli Campus. After reach UMK Jeli Campus, all PL were removed from the plastic bags, and number of survival and dead PL were determined. In this experiment, all the treatments showed no significant difference (p>0.05) in PL survival. The survival of PL stocked at densities of 60 was found to be higher (93.33%) whereas, a significantly lower rate was observed at high stocking densities of 70 and 80 PL in which 92.86% and 91.25% respectively. Survival was reduced in the water temperature with ice (23°C) (93.33%) compared to those stocked at water temperature without ice (25°C) (97.22%). During the study, higher survival of PL was recorded. in cleared water (93.33%) compared to those with colored water (92.22%). The . inclusive results obtained in this study may be due to the studied parameters that were still in the optimum range for transportation.