This manual is intended to be an easy-to-read guide to the selection, manufacture, storage, and use of feed in small-scale aquaculture. it concentrates on feed for fingerling fish and postlarval shrimp/prawns up to market-size animals; it does not cover hatchery or live feeds, or fertilization techniques, which are the subject of other FAO manuals. The target audience of the manual is fish and shrimp farmers, extension officers and university aquaculture students.
The topic covered in this manual is very broad. In a publication of this length it is only possible to introduce and summarize information on each subject. For this reason extensive lists of other publications have been provided at the end of each section or sub-section, where relevant, under the heading 'further reading', for those whose interest in that subject has been stimulated.
The manual has been organized into an introduction and eleven major sections, each of which answers a basic question, such as 'why should I feed'?, 'what is feed composed of'?, ' can I make my own compounded feeds'? etc..
A number of specialized topics are covered in eighteen appendices. The topics covered include over 40 examples of fish and crustacean feed formulations, premix composition, ingredient definitions, feeding tables and feeders and a glossary of terms used. 1/
1
/The scientific names of aquacultural species cited are given in Appendix XVII; those of ingredients are provided in Appendix XVIII
The author hopes that his readers will find the manual useful and instructive. Constructive criticisim of its content, as of its omissions, would be welcomed so that it may be improved in future editions.
