The combined effect of feed frequency and ration

20 Feed management strategies that maximise shrimp growth and optimise feed utilisation are 21 critical to the cost effectiveness of production.. In this study, juvenile shrimp (~3 g) were 22 cultured for six weeks in a laboratory based clear-water tank system. The experiment design 23 was a three way factorial with two diets (Diet A – standard industry formulation, or Diet B – 24 the same diet with 10% microbial biomass), two feed frequencies (twice or six times daily) 25 and three rations (60%, 80% and 100% of satiation).. The results demonstrated clear growth 26 benefits of feeding more than 2 times per day and feed efficiency benefits of a restricted 27 ration. There was also a significant interaction between frequency and ration, which 28 demonstrated that growth improved using 6 feeds compared with 2 feeds as ration amount 29 decreased. The effects of frequency and ration were consistent for both diets; however, the 30 addition of a microbial biomass provided significant growth improvements across all 31 treatments. These outcomes define the gains produced by the combined effect of frequency 32 and ration, and suggest a compromise between feed utilization and feeding effort for adoption 33 in feed management strategies. 34 35