Influence of the biofilm on the growth of the pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus paulensis reared in nursery systems

Abstract

This study evaluated the influence of biofilm on the growth of the pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus paulensis reared in nursery cages in a shallow estuarine inlet of Patos Lagoon, southern Brazil. F. paulensis postlarvae (PL25, mean weight 14 mg) were stocked at a density of 300 shrimps/m2, from February, 23 to March 25; 2001. The experimental design consisted of two treatments: in the first on, three 4m2 cages were installed in the estuarine inlet 10 days before the beginning of the experiment and the biofilm attached to them was not cleaned off throughout the experimental period. In the second treatment, three cages were exchanged every 10 days in order to limit biofilm attachment. At the end of the experiment, there was no significant difference in the survival between treatments, but postlarvae from the treatment with biofilm had a significantly (p<0.05) higher growth than those reared in cages where biofilm attachment was reduced.