Abstract
This study examined the life characteristics, fecundity, and innate immune response of fairy shrimp (Branchinella thailandensis Sanoamuang, Saengphan and Murugan, 2002) cultivated on Chlorella vulgaris, biofloc, dried powder Spirulina sp., and a formulated feed. These feeds were selected to compare traditional live feed (Chlorella vulgaris), microbial-based feed (biofloc), and alternative dry feed in order to identify a sustainable feeding strategy for fairy shrimp culture. The lifespans of male and female fairy shrimp reared on the biofloc diet were the longest at 44 ± 6.00 and 44.33 ± 4.67 days, respectively. Fairy shrimp reared on the biofloc diet demonstrated significantly enhanced growth, with lengths of 25.66 ± 1.75 mm in males and 27.60 ± 2.08 mm in females. The highest fecundity was also observed in the biofloc treatment, with 25 ± 6.65 broods per female, an average of 229.57 ± 2.08 eggs per brood, and a total of 5726.33 ± 1518.11 eggs per female over their lifespan. Fairy shrimp fed with Chlorella vulgaris, biofloc, and Spirulina sp. showed significantly high levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and lysozyme activities compared to those fed on a formulated feed, while malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, a marker of oxidative stress, were lower in these three groups. Results suggested that biofloc was a viable feed option for B. thailandensis, which positively influenced growth, lifespan, and fecundity while enhancing the innate immune function.