Tolerance limit of physicochemical water parameters in giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) in a captive condition

Authors: RASINA RASID, AMIRA LIYANA TAJUDDIN, MOHAMAD ABU UBAIDAH AMIR ABU ZARIM, SURESH THANAKODI, SYARIFAH BAHIYAH RAHAYU, NUR DIYANA KAMARUDIN, AMY AINEDA OMAR, MOHD FAZRUL HISAM ABDUL AZIZ, AHASAN HABIB

Abstract: Water quality is important in natural environments for an organism to sustain optimum physical conditions, as poor physicochemical characteristics can result in poor production and economic losses. The present study sets out to determine the subcritical of minimum and maximum physicochemical water parameters (pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen) tolerance limit for the giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii. To explore this, samples of 48 juvenile prawns (2.70 ± 0.27 g) were randomly subject to 6 replicates. The trials on dissolved oxygen were conducted by reducing dissolved oxygen levels in water over 12 h duration, pH test was conducted by lowering the pH level by adding 5% hydrochloride acid over 2 h. A temperature test was conducted by increasing the temperature with the water heater over 4 h, and ice was added to reduce the water temperature over 3 h. The critical point of dissolved oxygen was observed at 2.9 to 1.9 mg OO$_{2}$ L$^{-1}$ before M. rosenbergii displayed signs of stress until fatality occurred at 0.5 mg O$_{2}$ L$^{-1}$. The subcritical point range of pH was recorded between 2.6 (min) and 4.6 (max). The critical tolerance cold shock temperature limit for M. rosenbergii was observed at a range of 16.8 °C to 23.2 °C. M. rosenbergii showed stress signs between 32.9 °C and 36.7 °C. The results provide critical information on the subcritical tolerance levels of each water parameter, including dissolved oxygen, temperature and pH for giant freshwater prawns, which could prevent massive mortality due to changes in physicochemical water parameters.

Keywords: Freshwater prawn, critical water level, thermal tolerance, Macrobrachium rosenbergii

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