Domestication of Spawning and Nursery of Seluang Fish (Rasbora argyrotaenia)

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.