Increased productivity of Macrobrachium rosenbergii and Cherax quadricarinatus crustaceans due to the introduction of Chlorella vulgaris microalgae into their diet

Abstract

Goal. To study how the addition of microalgae Chlorella vulgaris to feed affects the growth, survival, and physiobiochemical performance of freshwater shrimp Macrobrachium rosenbergii and Australian red-clawed crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus in closed-loop water supply systems. Methods. The research was conducted at LLC “Ukrainian Shrimp” (Uzyn, Kyiv oblast) during 2024–2025 using morphobiological (determination of living mass and linear dimensions of crustaceans), physiobiochemical (analysis of the content of total protein and lipids in tissues), and hydrochemical (control of the main indicators of the quality of the aquatic environment) methods. Experimental data were processed by methods of variational statistics with the determination of arithmetic means (M) and standard error of the mean (± m). Results. It was found that the addition of Chlorella vulgaris contributed to an increase in the average live weight of crustaceans by 17.25% and an increase in their survival rate by 3–7%. In the tissues of hydrobionts, the content of proteins, lipids, and carotenoids grew, which indicated an improvement in metabolic processes and digestibility of feeds. Conclusions. Due to the high nutritional value and effective conversion of feed into biomass, crustaceans are valuable objects of aquaculture. The efficiency of cultivation is ensured by maintaining the optimal parameters of the aquatic environment, selecting healthy youth, and organizing balanced feeding with constant monitoring of the condition of animals. The best effect was obtained with doses of Chlorella vulgaris 10%, and therefore, this was the amount recommended for practical use.