Effect of Feed on the Biochemical Composition of Commercially Important Mud Crab Scylla tranquebarica (Fabricius 1798)

The crab fishery in India is fast developing and there is a vast scope for the crab meat due to its delicacy and nutritional richness. In the present investigation an attempt has been made to study the effect of two feeds (Acetes sp. and clam meat) on the biochemical of composition commercially important mud crab, Scylla tranquebarica. The protein, carbohydrate, lipid, ash and moisture contents of the crabs fed with Acetes sp. was in higher side when compared to clam meat fed animals. But these differences are not statistically significant except protein. The total contribution of essential and nonessential amino acids and also saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids are more or less same for both Acetes sp. and clam meat fed crabs. Further feeding trail experiment is very much needed to confirm the quality of the feed.