Effect of Biotic Factors on Growth and Survival of the Oriental River Prawn Macrobrachium nipponense (De Haan) in Warm Water Aquaculture

Abstract

Biotic factors such as intraspecific competition, stocking density, and parameters of feeding have been compared with respect to their effect on the growth and survival of monosex and mixed populations of the Oriental river prawn Macrobrachium nipponense (De Haan) in warm water aquaculture. The results sug gest that biotic factors—in the present case, social interactions and, to some extent, the efficiency of food assimilation—may be more effective than genetic factors in controlling differences in the size composition of the population.