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This book has been prepared on the basis of Thai experience in the farming of the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenberg ii. It has a practical orientation as it was written for extension and fishery officers as well as for practising aquacultures willing to start freshwater prawn farming. The farming of this prawn is of recent origin, but is spreading very rapidly in several countries which followed the well-divulgated example of Hawaiian prawn farmers. At the time in which this manual was written, Thailand had taken the world leadership in terms of production as the result of an active long-term involvement of both the official and private sectors. Since there is already a great deal of mainly scientific literature on this species, this manual was conceived to fill a gap in the existing literature, in order to provide information on how to go about M rosenberg ii farming answering the numerous requests from member Governments to FAO. It contains some general information on the biology of the species and much more detailed information on larval rearing and pond culture. The Thai practice forms the core of the manual but reference to other alternative techniques used elsewhere is given as well as additional literature reference relevant to each topic dealt with in the text, for readers willing to enlarge their knowledge. Annexes on water filtration, nutrition of larvae, description of the various larvel stages, ponds feeds, seine set design, stock estimation, and management strategy for Continuous culture technique, are also provided as well as a glossary of scientific and technical terms used in the main text. Table of Contents Chpter 1: Introduction, Chapter 2: Biology Distribution, Life History, Morphology, Chapter 3: Hatchery Site Requirements Water, Other Requirements, Chapter 4: Hatchery Facilities The Larval Tank, Holding and Mixing Tanks, Air, Water, Pumps, Monitoring Water Quality, Miscellaneous, Chapter 5: Hatchery Operations Egg Supply and Hatching, Larval Environment, Feeding, Growth Rateand Metamorphosis, Harvesting and Holding Post Larvae, Transporting Post Larvae, Problems, Alternative Hatchery Techniques, Chapter 6: Rearing Site Requirements Market, Water, Power, Topography and Soil, Access, Sympathetic Authorities, Labour, Chapter 7: Farm Facilities The Pond, Water, Aeration, Miscellaneous, Chapter 8: Farm Operation Pond Management, Stocking, Feeding, Monitoring, Harvesting, Post Harvest, Problems, Alternative Rearing Techniques, Appendix 1: Water Filtration, Appendix 2: Upward Flow Filtration, Appendix 3: Production of Brine Shrimp Nauplii (BSN) Feed for Larvae, Appendix 4: Production of Prepared Feed (PF) for Larvae, Appendix 5: Key to Larval Stages of Freshwater Prawns Macrobrachium rosenbergii, Appendix 6: Stock Estimation, Appendix 7: Pond Feeds, Appendix 8: Seine Net Design (for Continuous Culture System), Appendix 9: Example of Management Strategy for Continuous culture Technique, Appendix 10: Glossary of Terms and Conversions.