Impact of Stocking Density on Bioeconomic Performances of Blue Swimming Crab (Portunus pelagicus) Culture in Grow-Out Ponds
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65411/rst.2026.266519Keywords:
Crab aquaculture, Crab growth, Crab survival, Optimal stocking density, Economic profitabilityAbstract
The blue swimming crab (BSC) is a commercially important species with high consumer demand, but escalating exploitation has negatively impacted its natural populations. Establishing effective cultivation methods for BSC offered a promising long-term solution to this issue. This study aimed to enhance stocking density in grow-out ponds by analyzing the effects on bioeconomic performance of BSC farming. The research involved rearing juvenile BSC in 1,600 m² earthen ponds at three stocking densities: low (1 crab/m²), medium (3 crabs/m²), and high (5 crabs/m²). Each group had three replicates (n = 3). BSC were fed an artificial shrimp feed (38% protein) at 5% of body weight per day, with feedings occurring twice daily. Over a 90-day period, survival rate (SR), weight gain (WG), average daily growth (ADG), specific growth rate (SGR), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were assessed, alongside economic metrics such as total revenue (TR), break-even point (BEP), and payback period (PBP). Results indicated that stocking density significantly (p<0.05, one-way ANOVA) influenced the SR, WG, ADG, SGR, and revenue in BSC cultivation. As density increased, SR declined, and higher densities resulted in lower growth rates, reduced TR, and elevated FCR. In terms of culture efficiency, the densities of 1 and 3 crabs/m² proved to be more suitable for BSC culture compared to 5 crabs/m². However, economically, it was determined that rearing BSC at these three densities was not a worthwhile investment, with the density of 5 crabs/m² having the highest BEP (1.08 kg/m²) and PBP (7.5 years), while 1 crab/m² had the lowest BEP (0.38 kg/m²) and PBP (3.9 years). Therefore, appropriate BSC rearing guidelines should consider a density of no more than 3 crabs/m2 for future production.
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