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ABSTRACT
The effect of a period of starvation and subsequent re-feeding on the weight and length gain of post-larvae of giant prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, was studied during an eight-week investigation. Post-larvae of Macrobrachium rosenbergii weighing 5.15±2 mg were grown in aquaria at water temperature of 28±1°C. Post-larvae of the control treatment were fed to satiation during the experimental period while post-larvae in other three treatment groups were deprived of diet for 1, 2, and 4 weeks, respectively, and were subsequently fed to satiation during the realimentation period up to 8 weeks. Post-larvae deprived of diet for 1 and 2 weeks, compensated for lack of diet by weight gains of 1,842% and 1,813%, and better feed conversion efficiency (0.53% and 0.34%), respectively. Post-larvae deprived of diet for 4 weeks showed significantly (P < 0.05) lower gain in body weight (811%) than that of the control group (1,609%), but showed significantly higher specific growth rate (7.99±0.06) than other treatments during realimentation period. Data reported indicate that post-larvae of M. rosenbergii are able to achieve complete growth compensation within two weeks following feed deprivation of two weeks.