Experimental Studies on co-Culture of Shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931) with Sea Cucumber, Holothurian moebii (Ludwig, 1883)

The pond waste management is a major concern of the shrimp farmers. The sea cucumber,H. moebii (weight: 79.35 ± 0.013 g) with juvenile white leg shrimps, L. vannamei (weight: 2.6 &#177 0.18 g) were reared in co-culture and monoculture for 30 days in plastic tank with shrimp pond soil substratum. Shrimp feed was given as per shrimp feeding protocol. Laboratory study suggests that sea-cucumber reducing the percentage organic carbon in the soil. However, growth and survival of shrimp did not differ between monoculture and co-culture. Shrimp increased the level the level of organic carbon in monoculture as compared to co-culture. This study showed that co-culture of two species in earthen ponds appears to be improvement of soil condition of pond.