Abstract:
Seluang fish (Rasbora argyrotaenia) is a freshwater fish with promising
aquaculture potential, but successful domestication requires reliable captive
breeding and larval rearing techniques. This study evaluated two
domestication-related experiments conducted under controlled laboratory
conditions. The first experiment assessed the effects of broodstock sex ratio
on spawning performance using three male-to-female ratios (1:1, 2:1, and
3:1), each with three replicates. A total of 12 female and 24 male broodstock
were used. Reproductive performance was evaluated based on fecundity,
fertilization rate (FR), and hatching rate (HR). The second experiment
examined the effects of three larval feeds (MeM Prime 500 µm, dried
silkworm meal, and PF-0 feed) on nursery performance. A total of 2,400
larvae were stocked at 200 larvae per aquarium and reared for 30 days.
Growth in length and weight, survival rate (SR), and feed conversion ratio
(FCR) were measured. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA at a
95% confidence level. In the spawning experiment, broodstock sex ratio had
no significant effect on fecundity (469–605 eggs; p = 0.0503) or fertilization
rate (79.75–84.75%; p = 0.8603). Hatching rate ranged from 82.50% to
85.43%; however, the reported ANOVA result (p = 0.4719) indicated no
significant difference among treatments. In the nursery experiment, feed
type did not significantly affect length growth (15.82–17.85 mm; p =
0.9029), weight gain (1.95–2.01 g; p = 0.9985), survival rate (82.75–
85.65%; p = 0.5913), or FCR (1.40–1.44; p = 0.5913). Water quality
remained within acceptable ranges for spawning and larval rearing
throughout the study. These findings indicate that the tested broodstock sex
ratios and larval feed types produced comparable reproductive and nursery
performance under the conditions evaluated.
