Development of a microparticulate feed for the nursery rearing of the giant mottled eel ( <i>Anguilla marmorata</i> )

This study was conducted to develop a microparticulate feed for the nursery culture of Anguilla marmorata . The developed crumble-type formulated feed was evaluated through two separate feeding trials. In the first trial, the growth performance of A. marmorata elvers fed with dry crumble-type feed was compared to those fed the conventional moist dough-type nursery diet over a 16-day period. The results revealed that elvers fed with the crumble-type feed exhibited significant growth performance, with a specific growth rate (SGR) of 1.57 and percent weight gain (%WG) of 24.62%, (p&lt;0.05). No significant difference in survival was observed, as both dietary treatments achieved a 100% survival rate. Additionally, better water quality was observed in tanks fed with the crumble-type feed as compared to the dough-type. In the second trial, the applicability of the crumble-type feed to support elvers growth was tested on a larger scale rearing system for 120 days. Results demonstrated excellent growth and survival, with elvers exhibited an SGR of 1.52, %WG of 290.47%, and survival of 86.50%. Findings from this study underscore the successful development of a microparticulate feed that supports optimum growth and survival of A. marmorata elvers, while offering practical advantages in terms of ease of management and feed preparation.