author(s)
Bhalekar MS, Sawant NS, Sawant KS and Dabir PI

abstract
The brood stock management is of prime concern in a hatchery system as the production of viable and quality seed is largely dependent upon the broodstock management practices. In the present study, brood stock of Trichogaster leerii was fed with live food alone or in combination. The experiment was conducted in all glass aquarium tank (60x30x30 cm, 54-Lcapacity) filled with water up to a level of 15 cm. The adult females of pearl gourami (length 5.80 ± 0.06 cm and weight 1.9207 ± 0.08 g) were fed with different live foods such as mosquito larvae (T₁), Artemia (T₂), earthworms (T₃) and combinations of the above food viz. mosquito larvae + Artemia (T₄), mosquito larvae + earthworm (T₅) and Artemia + earthworm (T₆). The fishes were fed three times up to satiation. The results indicated higher growth rate and reproductive performance in adult females of pearl gourami fed with mosquito larvae, as compared to other test diets.