EFFECT OF DIETARY VITAMIN-C ON SURVIVAL AND MOLTING OF MACROBRACHIUM-ROSENBERGII (DE-MAN) LARVAE REARED UP TO STAGE-V

The effect of dietary vitamin C (99.7% pure, Loba Chemie, Mumbai) on t he survival arid moulting of M. rosenbergii larvae was investigated. F ive diets; SDC-25, SDC-75, SDC-125, SDC-175 and SDC-225 containing pow dered vitamin C @ 25 mg, 75 mg, 125 mg, 175 mg, and 225 mg per 100 g d iet respectively were fed to different groups of larvae and the result s were compared with the control (SD) receiving no vitamin C. Survival was recorded after 15 days. Moulting rate was calculated after counti ng the moults in each aquarium on a day-to-day basis. The highest surv ival (90%) was obained with diet SDC-175 (p < 0.01), while the control recorded 50% survival. Moulting was poor (60 to 70%) in control and 2 5 mg and 75 mg per 100 g feeding trials.