Conference Proceedings

 

Collections in this community

Recent Submissions

  • Conference paper

    Biological evaluation of existing feed formulations for the grow-out culture of the mud crab, Scylla serrata 

    MR Catacutan - In ET Quinitio, FD Parado-Estepa & RM Coloso (Eds.), Philippines : In the forefront of the mud crab industry development : proceedings of the 1st National Mud Crab Congress, 16-18 November 2015, Iloilo City, Philippines, 2017 - Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
    This study was conducted to identify a formulated pelleted feed for the grow-out culture of the mud crab. A commercial crab feed (CCF) was evaluated together with fish by-catch (FBC) and three test diets (formulated and pelleted) of similar dietary energy (1723 MJ/Kg diet) based on published works. The test diets contained 48% (D-1), 43% (D-2), and 38% (D-3) crude protein (CP), respectively. All the five dietary treatments were fed to crablets (5 to 6 g body weight) that were individually stocked in 60-L tanks. Each dietary treatment was fed to six crabs. Crustaceans grow by molting which is not simultaneous, hence, each crab was monitored daily. After the third molt (M3) survival rates in D-1, D-2 and D-3 ranged from 33%-66% compared with only 16% in FBC, and 0% in CCF where no crab survived to molt for the second time (M2). Nutrients in FBC may not be sufficient to sustain growth and survival, while water stable CCF may lack a feed attractant. Diets D-1, D-2, and D-3 were evaluated in another feeding experiment to identify the basal diet for the crab. All crabs molted until M3 and no significant differences were noted on growth performance between treatments. However, D-1 (48% CP) was identified as the basal diet due to better numerical values observed in terms of feed conversion ratios and specific growth rates.
  • Conference paper

    Trading of juvenile crabs and grow-out culture in Capiz 

    GJ Panaguiton - In ET Quinitio, FD Parado-Estepa & RM Coloso (Eds.), Philippines : In the forefront of the mud crab industry development : proceedings of the 1st National Mud Crab Congress, 16-18 November 2015, Iloilo City, Philippines, 2017 - Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
    The article presents the trade of juvenile crabs in the Province of Capiz, Philippines. Moreover grow-out culture was also presented. Likewise, common problems encountered in the trade, and culture of the crabs was discussed.
  • Conference paper

    Mud crab fattening project of KAMAMANA in Del Carmen, Siargao Island 

    AE Sulima - In ET Quinitio, FD Parado-Estepa & RM Coloso (Eds.), Philippines : In the forefront of the mud crab industry development : proceedings of the 1st National Mud Crab Congress, 16-18 November 2015, Iloilo City, Philippines, 2017 - Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
    The Kaanib ng mga Mangingisda at Magsasaka ng Numancia Aqua-Agrikultura (KAMAMANA), established in Del Carmen, Siargao Island in 2011 is a People's Organization active in promoting the advocacy in 1) protecting the environment and natural resources, 2) providing services for the family welfare, and 3) managing sustainable livelihood programs and community development. One of the major livelihood programs presently being implemented by KAMAMANA is the fattening of mud crab (mangrove crab), Scylla serrata, in plastic containers set up in a mangrove area. Tenurial rights to manage a 2-hectare mangrove area for 25 years was granted to KAMAMANA by the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources.

    Crabs obtained from the mangrove areas of Del Carmen and nearby municipalities are purchased and stocked in plastic containers. The crabs are fed trash fish and mollusks once every afternoon to satiation until they are fattened, usually for 1-2 weeks. The major problem encountered is mortality after molting. Four KAMAMANA members are involved in the crab fattening. When mortalities occur, the dead crabs are usually charged to members assigned in the operation. The fattened crabs are sold to local restaurants, hotels, resorts and walk-in buyers or brought to traders in Surigao City. The net income is divided into the following: members involved in the culture (50%), treasurer (10%), business manager (15%), organizational share (5%), savings (5%) and trust fund (15%).
  • Conference paper

    Polyculture of mud crab in Region 3 

    M Bonifacio - In ET Quinitio, FD Parado-Estepa & RM Coloso (Eds.), Philippines : In the forefront of the mud crab industry development : proceedings of the 1st National Mud Crab Congress, 16-18 November 2015, Iloilo City, Philippines, 2017 - Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
    The polyculture of mud crab with one to three other species (milkfish (Chanos chanos), tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) and shrimp or sugpo (Penaeus monodon)) is a common practice in Region 3. Pond preparation is given importance prior to stocking of various species. Removal of sludge in the pond and application of probiotics are included in the standard pond preparation. The size and stocking densities of each species vary depending on the season. The volume of water to be replaced is based on the transparency of the water.

    The various species are fed natural food grown in the pond in addition to mollusks and low value fish given specifically for mud crab and shrimp. When pond water becomes transparent (indicating the decrease in phytoplankton density), the water is agitated using a small boat. If water continues to be transparent, fertilizers are applied to enhance growth of natural food. The pond water and animals are closely monitored to prevent diseases. Some of the early signs of occurrence of disease include the presence of bubbles on the water surface, and presence of weak shrimp on the feeding trays and along the dikes. The presence of weak shrimp and crab on the pond bottom and continuous swimming of these animals from night to dawn indicate poor pond water quality which can be remedied by circulating and flushing of the pond water every other day.
  • Conference paper

    Philippine National Standard for Live Mud Crabs: establishing food safety and quality requirements 

    MF Matubang, TS Palomares, JP Peralta, ET Quinitio, RJ Ragaza, JV Alejo, PB Regazpi, CE Romero, HA Montoya, JG Trinidad & KKA Roscom - In ET Quinitio, FD Parado-Estepa & RM Coloso (Eds.), Philippines : In the forefront of the mud crab industry development : proceedings of the 1st National Mud Crab Congress, 16-18 November 2015, Iloilo City, Philippines, 2017 - Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
    The Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS) of the Department of Agriculture (DA), in collaboration with the relevant government and research agencies, academe and industry organization, is currently developing the Philippine National Standard (PNS) for live mangrove crabs (also known as mud crabs). This PNS defines the food safety and quality requirements for live mangrove crabs in order to ensure consumers’ health and make the product globally competitive. The process in the development of standards include review of the existing requirements of local and foreign markets and internationally recognized standards, creation of the Technical Working Group, initial drafting of the PNS, conduct of public consultations in major production areas, finalization of the draft for the PNS, notification to the World Trade Organization and approval of the DA Secretary.

    The PNS for live mangrove crabs specifies the scope of the standard, product description, essential composition and quality factors, hygiene, handling, labeling requirements, methods of sampling, examination and analysis, definition of defectives, and the requirements for product lot acceptance.
  • Conference paper

    Population structure of Scylla serrata from microsatellite and mtDNA markers 

    CCE Vince Cruz & MC Ablan-Lagman - In ET Quinitio, FD Parado-Estepa & RM Coloso (Eds.), Philippines : In the forefront of the mud crab industry development : proceedings of the 1st National Mud Crab Congress, 16-18 November 2015, Iloilo City, Philippines, 2017 - Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
    Determination of the population structure and connectivity of natural populations of Scylla serrata are useful tools for decision making related to conservation and management efforts of this species. They provide important considerations as recovery and sustainability of the industry relies on the availability of hardy recruits that can replenish harvested resources from the system. In the case of marine domesticated species, admixture is expected due to commodity trade and exchanges.

    Current population structure of five wild populations of S. serrata from Pangasinan, Bataan, Cagayan, Quezon, and Panay was determined using five microsatellite markers, cross-amplified from Scylla paramamosain in a total of 259 samples. Mitochondrial 16S rDNA sequences of 25 representative individuals from the same locations were used to provide a comparison with original evolutionary patterns. Quality check of microsatellite data revealed no null alleles in the data set, with all loci and populations exhibiting Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium. Pairwise FST analysis reveals FST values between 0.001-0.08432 with 9 out of the 16 possible comparisons considered significant. Phylogenetic analysis was performed on the 16S rDNA sequences, supported by bootstrap values. Both sets of data suggest 2 distinct groupings: the east coast populations of Cagayan and Quezon, the west coast populations of Pangasinan and Bataan, with admixture observed in the group from Panay. Additional data from 5 microsatellite markers specifically developed for S. serrata and the D-loop region will be added to the analysis.

    The results from both mitochondrial and microsatellite markers, revealing an East-West separation of S. serrata populations, suggest that current and evolutionary population patterns are matching. Aquaculture practices appear to have not yet significantly affected the population structure of this domesticated species, as initially speculated.
  • Conference paper

    Genetic diversity and stock delineation of Philippine populations of the orange mud crab, Scylla olivacea 

    FJM Paran & RJ Ravago-Gotanco - In ET Quinitio, FD Parado-Estepa & RM Coloso (Eds.), Philippines : In the forefront of the mud crab industry development : proceedings of the 1st National Mud Crab Congress, 16-18 November 2015, Iloilo City, Philippines, 2017 - Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
    The orange mud crab, Scylla olivacea, is regarded as an important fishery resource due to high demand and high market value. However, mud crab populations are threatened by over exploitation and habitat degradation, and would benefit from resource management interventions. The study examined patterns of genetic diversity and connectivity of orange mud crab populations across the Philippines, with the aim of identifying putative management units. A total of 387 Scylla olivacea were collected from ten localities across the Philippine archipelago. Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial control region (mtDNA-CR) DNA sequences revealed cryptic diversity among Scylla olivacea specimens with four mitochondrial lineages recovered. Analysis of molecular variance revealed that Philippine populations do not constitute a single genetic stock (0ST=0.00262; P=0.00015). Thirteen microsatellite loci were also utilized as additional markers to infer population structure and estimate genetic variation. Overall, S. olivacea populations exhibit high haplotype diversity (mean h=0.9803) and nucleotide diversity (mean ~p3.46%), which may be indicative of a large, stable population within Philippine archipelagic waters. This study provides information on genetic diversity and population structure of S. olivacea, which will be useful towards developing management and conservation strategies for sustainable development of natural S. olivacea populations in the Philippines.
  • Conference paper

    High throughput RNA sequencing reveals temperature tolerance mechanisms in Scylla serrata 

    MC Ablan-Lagman & E Meyer - In ET Quinitio, FD Parado-Estepa & RM Coloso (Eds.), Philippines : In the forefront of the mud crab industry development : proceedings of the 1st National Mud Crab Congress, 16-18 November 2015, Iloilo City, Philippines, 2017 - Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
    The effects of increasing temperature from global climate change threaten the sustainability and production of mud crabs from farms and wild populations in mangroves. Adaptation of mud crab populations to temperature stress is difficult to evaluate until now, with the emergence of RNA-Seq, a method which evaluates total mRNA expression under different conditions. In this study, 10 individuals each of S. serrata from Buguey, Cagayan were exposed to 26~’C and 32~’C for two weeks and the mRNA profiles were compared based on 186 million high quality pair-end reads which were aligned to a S. serrata reference transcriptome assembled de novo from 24,350 contigs with an average N50 of 1564 bp. Temperature related differences in gene expression were not significantly detected between the control and treatment groups and this was mostly due to the highly expressed genes such as the low and high molecular weight heat shock proteins. However, variations were greater among genes involved in the process of cell cycle regulation, the dissimilation processes such as oxidative phosphorylation, reproduction and transport across membranes. Greater differences were observed between immature or mature males and females.
  • Conference paper

    Identification of mud crab species in coastal areas of Pangasinan 

    RB Cerezo & MC Tapia - In ET Quinitio, FD Parado-Estepa & RM Coloso (Eds.), Philippines : In the forefront of the mud crab industry development : proceedings of the 1st National Mud Crab Congress, 16-18 November 2015, Iloilo City, Philippines, 2017 - Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
    The study was conducted to identify the mud crab species (Scylla spp.) that thrive in 12 coastal municipalities and 2 cities in Pangasinan. Ten mud crab samples were taken from each of the sampling site and classified based on Keenan et al. (1998). Likewise, the abundance and differences in size and weight of the mud crab samples were determined. The study showed that there are only three mud crab species, Scylla serrata, S. tranquebarica and S. olivacea, found in the coastal areas of Pangasinan. S. serrata was the most abundant species (54.28%), followed by S. tranquebarica (24.28%) and S. olivacea (22.14%). Crabs weighing more than 300 g (~.12 cm carapace width or CW) were obtained from the municipalities of Anda, Bolinao, Dasol, Burgos, Bani, Agno, Alaminos and Infanta. These municipalities are geographically situated in coastal areas where S. serrata are found. Crabs weighing below 300 g (~.12 cm CW) were collected from the municipalities of Sual, Labrador, San Fabian, Lingayen, Dagupan and Binmaley. These towns have mangrove areas and low saline waters where S. tranquebarica and S. olivacea thrive.
  • Conference paper

    Development of protocol for the production of hatchery-reared mud crab Scylla serrata juveniles for soft-shell crab farming 

    ET Quinitio, GX Libunao & FD Parado-Estepa - In ET Quinitio, FD Parado-Estepa & RM Coloso (Eds.), Philippines : In the forefront of the mud crab industry development : proceedings of the 1st National Mud Crab Congress, 16-18 November 2015, Iloilo City, Philippines, 2017 - Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
    Development of economically viable techniques for growing hatchery-reared juvenile crabs to suitable sizes will address the problem on the source of seed stocks for soft-shell crab farming. This paper reports the production of hatchery-reared mud crab Scylla serrata from juveniles in the nursery to 73-106 g body weight (BW) crabs in the grow-out pond for the individual system soft-shell crab farming. Likewise, the performance of hatchery-reared S. serrata, and wild S. tranquebarica and S. olivacea juveniles was determined in the soft-shell crab production set-up.

    The BW increased from 1.8-1.9 g to 78-113.7 g when stocked at 0.5 ind m-2 and from 1.6-2.3 g to 73-106.7 g at 1.0 ind m-2 after 75 days. Growth rates at both stocking densities were comparable. However, survival was significantly higher (P<0.05) in lower (63.6~c1.01%) than in higher (35.6~c3.34%) stocking density. Male S. serrata (46.0 ~c 1.75%) had significantly higher BW increase than females (39.4 ~c 2.05%). Crabs stocked at sizes of 51-60 g showed significantly greater percent increase in BW (43.26~c 0.98%) compared with those at 61-70 g (40.98~c1.33%), 71-80 g (38.55~c 1.04%), 81-90 g (36.34 ~c 1.27%) and 91-100 g (38.52 ~c 1.67%). Among the three species, hatchery-reared S. serrata (42.14 ~c 1.34%) had significantly higher mean percent BW increase compared with S. olivacea (38.23 ~c 0.49%) and S. tranquebarica (36.16 ~c 0.78%). S. serrata had significantly shorter mean culture period (24.11 ~c 0.95 days) than S. tranquebarica (28.48 ~c 0.54 days) and S. olivacea (28.75 ~c 0.34 days).
  • Conference paper

    Enhancing mud crab population through mangrove restoration 

    MJH Lebata-Ramos, EF Doyola-Solis, RC Sibonga, JB Biñas, M Walton & L Le Vay - In ET Quinitio, FD Parado-Estepa & RM Coloso (Eds.), Philippines : In the forefront of the mud crab industry development : proceedings of the 1st National Mud Crab Congress, 16-18 November 2015, Iloilo City, Philippines, 2017 - Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
    Mangroves are known as important nurseries for different species of fish and shellfish. In the Philippines, mud crabs Scylla spp. are among the most valuable crustaceans harvested from the mangroves and are considered a delicacy. However, varying levels of overfishing have been reported in different parts of the country. The decrease in production may be due to increasing demand for the resource and the loss of mangrove habitat. This problem may be addressed through regulation of fishing effort, rehabilitation of habitats, mangrove-friendly aquaculture and enhancement of wild crab stocks. This study shows the effect of mangrove rehabilitation on mud crab population.

    From July 2010 to December 2011, a total of 2.166 tons of mud crabs (n=17,558) have been collected from a 66.5 ha abandoned pond that has been recolonized by mangroves. The catch was dominated by S. olivacea (79.96%), then S. tranquebarica (19.92%) and S. serrata (0.12%). Male to female ratio was at 1.09:1. Individual daily yield ranged from 0.06 to 8.4 kg while catch per unit effort in terms of quantity and biomass ranged 0.02-1.46 crab gear-1 day-1 and 1.1-213.54 g gear-1 day-1, respectively. The results showed that mud crab population in this study site was much higher than the population in the reforested (Walton et al., 2006, 2007) and natural mangroves (Lebata et al., 2007) with almost the same area. For 18 months of sampling (April 2002-September 2003), only 3,924 crabs were sampled in the natural mangroves while 10,504 in the reforested mangroves. Mud crab production in the present study site resulted in a yield of 21 kg ha-1 yr-1, 5 and 3 times higher than the yield reported in the natural and reforested mangrove areas, respectively. These results imply that habitat restoration can be very effective in restoring natural populations of mud crab.
  • Conference paper

    Development of immunostimulant for mud crab, Scylla serrata 

    RF Traifalgar - In ET Quinitio, FD Parado-Estepa & RM Coloso (Eds.), Philippines : In the forefront of the mud crab industry development : proceedings of the 1st National Mud Crab Congress, 16-18 November 2015, Iloilo City, Philippines, 2017 - Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
    Non-specific immune activitation is considered a potential prophylactic approach in the prevention of disease outbreaks in crustacean aquaculture. The present investigation evaluates the dietary supplementation of bacterial and algal derived immunostimulants including peptidoglycan, ergosan, mannan oligosaccharide and acidic polysaccharides from Ulva, Sargassum and Padina to enhance the immunological responses and resistance of Scylla serrata juveniles against white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infection. Each of the test immunostimulant was optimized for dose and frequency of administration.

    Results showed significant enhancement of shrimp survival against WSSV infection if Mannan oligosaccharide is supplemented at 2000 mg kg-1 diet applied every 3 days. Optimum dose and frequency of application for peptidoglycan was determined as 1000 mg kg-1 diet applied every 3 days while a dose of 2000 mg kg-1 diet applied every 3 days was found optimum for ergosan. Enhancement of survival was also observed in crabs given the acidic polysaccharide extracts from seaweeds. Better survival was observed in the treatment receiving Ulva at 1000 mg kg-1 applied every 3 days. Similar dose and frequency were also observed to enhance the resistance of the juvenile crabs against WSSV when maintained with diets supplemented with Padina and Sargassum acidic polysaccharides. The high survival in these treatments is associated with the prominent enhancement of immunological responses including phenol oxidase activity, respiratory burst and total hemocyte counts. At optimum dosage and application frequency, these immunostimulants are observed to improve overall growth performance of the juvenile crab. These results suggest that dietary supplementation of peptidoglycan, ergosan mannan oligosaccharide, and acidic polysaccharides from Ulva, Sargassum and Padina at a dose described above can be used to boost the immunological response and enhance the resistance of S. serrata juveniles against WSSV infection.
  • Conference paper

    Handling, storage and transport conditions of mud crabs in trading centers 

    JP Peralta & JPD Chan - In ET Quinitio, FD Parado-Estepa & RM Coloso (Eds.), Philippines : In the forefront of the mud crab industry development : proceedings of the 1st National Mud Crab Congress, 16-18 November 2015, Iloilo City, Philippines, 2017 - Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
    This study aims to improve the handling, storage and transport conditions of mud crabs. The usual practice of the crab growers in the Philippines is to bring the market size crabs to middlemen, brokers or operators of small trading centers immediately after harvest; then the crabs are brought to municipal traders or operators of bigger buying station. The crabs are sent to the exporters in Manila or Cebu. The crabs are exported mostly to Singapore, Taiwan, Hongkong and mainland China. The crabs are classified based on the species, body weight, sex, gonad maturity and intactness of limbs. Crabs are rejected for export when they are soft-shelled, very lean, or have incomplete limbs and abnormalities. Crabs with emaciated muscle (‘hagas’), ammoniacal odor (strong urine-like smell) and in an undesirable state are also rejected.

    This paper presents the initial results of the project on the Improvement in the handling, storage and transport of mud crabs under Sub-program C entitled Improvement of Feeds and Stock Management Practices in Mud Crab Grow-out Culture under the National Mud Crab Science and Technology Program. It also presents issues and concerns on the present practices, and presents possible recommendations.
  • Conference paper

    Defects in the handling, storage and transport of mud crab 

    JP Peralta & DS Cheung - In ET Quinitio, FD Parado-Estepa & RM Coloso (Eds.), Philippines : In the forefront of the mud crab industry development : proceedings of the 1st National Mud Crab Congress, 16-18 November 2015, Iloilo City, Philippines, 2017 - Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
    Consumers prefer to buy live mud crabs (Scylla). Moribund and dead crabs have very low market value. Immediately after harvest, the crabs are tied to render their claws immobile. The time between harvest and arrival of crabs at the final destination is 3-5 days. During the holding and transport period, the crabs are no longer fed and are sometimes subjected to stressful conditions (e.g. high temperature) which may result to weight loss, muscle emaciation and other undesirable conditions of the crabs, and mortality. Likewise, ammoniacal odor (strong urine-like smell) that affects flavor is sometimes observed. Crabs with emaciated muscle and undesirable odor are considered rejects.

    This paper presents the initial results of the project on the Improvement in the Handling, Storage and Transport of Mud Crabs under Sub-program C entitled Improvement of Feeds and Stock Management Practices in Mud Crab Grow-out Culture under the National Mud Crab Science and Technology Program.
  • Conference paper

    Effect of feed binder on water stability and digestibility of formulated feed for the mud crab Scylla serrata 

    MR Catacutan - In ET Quinitio, FD Parado-Estepa & RM Coloso (Eds.), Philippines : In the forefront of the mud crab industry development : proceedings of the 1st National Mud Crab Congress, 16-18 November 2015, Iloilo City, Philippines, 2017 - Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
    The binding capacity of six natural and eight synthetic feed binders were tested in a basal diet formulated for the mud crab. Incorporation levels of natural binders ranged from 1 to 25% while those of synthetic binders ranged from 0.1 to 5% and these were tested for pellet stability in seawater by a) 10-min immersion, and b) at different time intervals. Pellets with synthetic binders were more water-stable than pellets with natural binders. Three synthetic binders and natural binders (glutinous rice starch and carrageenan + CMC) showed best results. The Apparent Digestibility Coefficients (ADC) of crude protein (ADCCP) and crude fat (ADCCFt) of the basal diet were determined when selected feed binders were included in the formulation. These were determined by using an inert indicator, chromic oxide. Results showed that the ADCCP and ADCCFt of the basal diet were not similar when different binders were used, and these differences ranged from 3 to 7%. Carrageenan combined with a synthetic binder improved ADCCP and CDCCFt values.
  • Conference paper

    Nursery culture of mud crab Scylla serrata using different feeding rates 

    VR Alava, JD Sumile & FD Parado-Estepa - In ET Quinitio, FD Parado-Estepa & RM Coloso (Eds.), Philippines : In the forefront of the mud crab industry development : proceedings of the 1st National Mud Crab Congress, 16-18 November 2015, Iloilo City, Philippines, 2017 - Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
    The effect of different feeding rates on the production and profitability of Phases 1 and 2 (3-week each) nursery culture of hatchery-produced crab Scylla serrata was determined. Minced mussel meat and formulated diet (at a ratio of 30:70) were fed to crabs. The crabs were stocked randomly in 12-m2 net cages installed in the nursery earthen pond at stocking densities of 50 m-2 for Phase 1 and 10 m-2 for Phase 2. Crabs were fed three times daily at 0830, 1300 and 1630h h. In Phase 1, feed conversion ratio (FCR) at a feeding rate of 100% of initial crab biomass day-1 for the entire three weeks was the lowest (p<0.05) while survival, body weight (BW), carapace width (CW) and carapace length (CL) were not different (p>0.05) among crabs given different feeding rates. For Phase 2, the feeding rate of 40-30-20% of crab biomass day-1 (week 1-2-3) resulted in lowest (p<0.05) FCR that was not significantly different from FCRs of crabs fed 50-40-30% and 60-50-40% of BW. Crab BW, CW and CL were not different (p>0.05) among feeding rate treatments. Profitability was better when feeding rate used was 100% of initial crab biomass day-1 for the entire Phase 1 or 100-50-40% of crab biomass day-1 (for week 1-2-3). A feeding rate of 50-40-30 % of crab biomass day-1 (week 1-2-3) was more profitable in Phase 2.
  • Conference paper

    Nursery culture of mud crab, Scylla serrata, using different ratios of natural food to formulated feed 

    VR Alava, JD Sumile & FD Parado-Estepa - In ET Quinitio, FD Parado-Estepa & RM Coloso (Eds.), Philippines : In the forefront of the mud crab industry development : proceedings of the 1st National Mud Crab Congress, 16-18 November 2015, Iloilo City, Philippines, 2017 - Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
    The effect of feeding different ratios of natural food to formulated feed on the production and profitability of Phases 1 and 2 of nursery culture (3 weeks per phase) of hatchery-produced crab Scylla serrata was investigated. The feeds consisted of: mussel meat (M) alone, formulated diet (FD) alone, and their combination at M:FD ratios of 5 : 95, 10 : 90, 15 : 85, 20 : 80, 25 : 75 and 30 : 70. The crabs were stocked randomly in 12-m2 net cages installed in the nursery pond at stocking density of 50 m-2 for Phase 1 and 10 m-2 for Phase 2. Crabs were fed three times daily at 0830, 1300 and 1630 h. Results showed that in both phases, the survival rate, body weight, carapace width, and feed conversion ratio of crabs fed M, FD, and combination at different ratios were not significantly different (p>0.05). Profitability was better in 15 M:85 FD or 20 M :80 FD (Phase 1) and 30 M:70 FD ratio (Phase 2). The use of complete formulated diet as feed for crabs reduced the reliance on wet natural food.
  • Conference paper

    Overview of the mud crab industry in the Philippines 

    ET Quinitio - In ET Quinitio, FD Parado-Estepa & RM Coloso (Eds.), Philippines : In the forefront of the mud crab industry development : proceedings of the 1st National Mud Crab Congress, 16-18 November 2015, Iloilo City, Philippines, 2017 - Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
    Mud crab farming has long been established in the Philippines and the country is the second top producer in the world. Except for Scylla paramamosain, the three other species, S. serrata, S. tranquebarica and S. olivacea are commonly found in the country, but S. serrata is the preferred species for farming. Crab seeds for farming are mainly from the wild and in recent years, a small percentage from the hatchery. Due to the apparent decline of the wild crab stocks, provincial and municipal ordinances have been issued by a number of Local Government Units (LGUs) along with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to conserve and manage the remaining resources. From the hatchery, megalopa or crab instars are grown in net cages installed in the nursery pond. Mud crab farming engages mostly in long-term grow-out culture of juvenile crabs to market size for 3-5 months, short-term fattening of lean crabs for 15-45 days, and recently, soft-shell crab production. Polyculture of juvenile crabs to market size with one to three other commodities in earthen brackishwater ponds is usually practiced. Mud crabs for soft-shell crab production are mainly from the wild, while SEAFDEC/AQD demonstrates the use of hatchery-produced juvenile mud crabs as seedstock.

    Refinement is continuously being done to improve the economic viability of producing crabs, although basic technologies have been developed for all phases of culture (hatchery, nursery, grow-out, fattening and soft shell crab production). The major issues facing the industry are the lack of seedstock, difficulty of zoea 5 to molt to megalopa stage, cannibalism particularly at the nursery phase, species identification at the juvenile stage, use of fish as aquafeed, diseases, effects of climate change and quality of crabs at postharvest. In 2012, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) started funding projects under the National Mud Crab Science and Technology Program (NMCSTP) to address these issues. The major aim of the Program was to improve the production, profitability and sustainability of crab farming. SEAFDEC/AQD leads in capacity building with focus on the sustainability of the mud crab industry. Various collaborations and research studies on mud crab culture enabled SEAFDEC/AQD to package mud crab technologies, conduct local and international training courses and on-site technology demonstrations, and publish extension manuals and scientific publications since the mid1990s. Research and Development activities have been translated into improved production. With the recent developments and refinements of technologies, it is expected that the Philippines will increase its production by 25-50% in the next 5 years.
  • Conference paper

    Management strategies for grow-out culture of mud crab 

    JG Genodepa - In ET Quinitio, FD Parado-Estepa & RM Coloso (Eds.), Philippines : In the forefront of the mud crab industry development : proceedings of the 1st National Mud Crab Congress, 16-18 November 2015, Iloilo City, Philippines, 2017 - Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
    There is an increasing interest in mud crab farming because of the growing demand for mud crab in domestic and international markets. Different methods for rearing crabs in ponds, pens and cages have evolved through several years of research and experiences of farmers. Mud crabs are cultured in brackishwater earthen ponds and pens in mangroves. Fattening of lean crabs is also integrated with the grow-out culture system. Cannibalism is one of the major factors affecting the survival of crabs in growout ponds and pens. Hence, various strategies are recommended to reduce cannibalism such as stocking density of less than 2,000 crabs ha-1, provision of suitable shelters, sufficient quantity of natural food and formulated feeds that are evenly distributed in the pond or pen. Feeding rate used in the pen is adjusted to avoid excess feeds that can attract rats and other land animals that can damage the enclosures. Selective harvesting is normally practiced since mud crabs do not grow or get fattened at the same time even if they belong to the same batch.
  • Conference paper

    Morphological deformities in mud crab Scylla serrata juveniles exposed to antibiotics during the larval stage 

    GS Pates Jr., ET Quinitio, GF Quinitio & FD Parado-Estepa - In ET Quinitio, FD Parado-Estepa & RM Coloso (Eds.), Philippines : In the forefront of the mud crab industry development : proceedings of the 1st National Mud Crab Congress, 16-18 November 2015, Iloilo City, Philippines, 2017 - Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
    The effects of antibiotics on the survival, growth and external deformities of mud crab Scylla serrata larvae and juveniles were determined. Zoeae were exposed to 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 mgL-1 oxytetracycline (OTC) and 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 mgL-1 furazolidone (furan) until the late megalopa in the first and second experiments. The treatments that gave the best results in the first and second experiments were conducted simultaneously in the third experiment. The surviving crab instar from each replicate were grown in nursery tanks for one month.

    Significantly higher survival and faster growth rate of Z5 were attained when 3 and 6 mgL-1 OTC or 0.5 and 1 mgL-1 furan were used. Morphological deformities observed in zoea 5 were bent dorsal, rostral and furcal spines. Percentage occurrence of morphological deformities was similar in all treatments. Significantly (P<0.05) higher survival and faster growth were attained among Z5 in the treatments using 3 mgL-1 OTC and 0.5 mL-1 furan in the third experiment. Morphological deformities observed in juveniles were fused frontal and lateral spines, asymmetrical and depressed tip of abdominal flap and gap between sternites. High percentage of deformities was observed in juveniles that were previously exposed to 6 mgL-1 OTC or 1.0 mgL-1 furan. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) observed in the survival of juveniles in both treatments of OTC and furan. However, growth was significantly (P<0.05) faster in lower concentrations of the two antibiotics.

    The study shows the apparent negative effects of antibiotics and highlights the need to eliminate or find alternatives, thereby preventing possible harm to the organisms and the environment.

View more