The effect of natural and artificial periphytic substrates with biofloc system on shrimp Penaeus vannamei (Boone 1931) culture: growth and immune response

A 120-day experiment was conducted to understand the growth and immunomodulatory response of Penaeus vannamei reared in biofloc-integrated periphyton system–like natural substrates like bamboo (NS1), sugarcane bagasse (NS2), artificial substrates like polyvinyl chloride mat (AS1), agricultural shed net (AS2), and a control group without biofloc and substrate. Experiments were carried out in 500-L fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) tanks at a stocking density of 100 nos/m 3 (0.256 g). Shrimps reared in natural substrate-based treatments, (NS1 and NS2) recorded highest average body weight (ABW) and survival followed by artificial ones (AS1 and AS2), and were significantly higher ( P