Problem shellfish good for mudcrab fattener

Ever heard of bagungon?

It’s a large univalve snail with heavy and tall shell that resembles the shape of a little telescope. These shells feed on organic debris and are usually found in exposed mudflats were algae are also located.

Bagungon is considered a pest in brackishwater fishponds because it inhibits the growth of natural food and competes with the stock for food. Although edible and nutritious, it is not preferred as food but is merely used as extenders in feeding animals.

Now comes researcher Renato Alber of the Camarines Norte State College (CNSC) in Daet finding out that bagungon is good as food for mudcrab (alimango).

Alber reported his findings in a paper titled "Growth and Survival of Mudcrab (Scylla serrata) Fed with Bagungon Meat (Telescopium telescopium) as Alternative Feed Ingredient in Mudcrab Fattening", which he presented at the National Research Symposium held not long ago at the DA-Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) in Quezon City.

In the study, Alber looked into the possibility of formulating an alternative feed source that could fatten mudcrabs without incurring additional expenses, an alternative feed ingredient that is as nutritious a fish meal and trash fish but cheap and readily available.

The CNSC researcher reported that the protein-rich bagungon is abundant in the magrove areas of Camarines Norte.

In his research, he used five feed formulations: 100 percent fishmeal; 100 percent bagungon meat; 75 percent bagungon meat plus 25 percent fishmeal; 50 percent bagungon meat plus 50 percent fishmeal; and 25 percent bagungon meat plus 75 percent fishmeal.

Results of the 20-day fattening study (twice a day feeding) showed that the highest gain in weight (average of 64.77 grams) was achieved from the mudcrabs fed with 100 percent bagungon meat.

It was followed by those fed with 75 percent bagungon meat plus 25 percent fishmeal (63.33 g). Mudcrabs fed with fishmeal alone weight 62.47 g.

The lightest were those fed with 50 percent bagungon meat plus 50 percent fishmeal (57.20 g).

"All the mudcrabs survived under any of the five treatments," said Alber, as reported by DA-BAR’s Rita dela Cruz. – Rudy A. Fernandez