The objective ofthis work was to verify the occurrence of compensatory growth in Malaysian prawn(Macrobrachium rosenbergii) reared in pens, after being stocked in cagesunder high densities during nursery phase. The experiment was carried out in0.5 m2 cages and 2-m2 pens set in natural bottom pondwith 2,400 m2. Prawn post-larvae (PL) with an average weight of 0.026± 0.012 g (nursery phase) were initially stocked in 16 cages at the densitiesof 50, 400, 800 and 1,200 PL m-2. Sixty days later, prawns were transferredto 16 growing pens, at the density of 12 prawns m-2. Initial averageweight of the prawn in this phase was the final average weight registered inthe nursery phase, as follows: 50 PL m-2 = 2.3 ± 0.3 g; 400PL m-2 = 0.5 ± 0.03 g; 800 PL m-2 = 0.3 ±0.05 g and 1,200 PL m-2 = 0.1 ± 0.01 g. Commercial rationsfor prawns (35% crude protein) were given once a day, in the afternoon. After244 days, survival, average weight and biomass did not differ significantlyamong prawns with different initial average weight. Relative growth rate wassignificantly greater in prawns previously stocked at 1,200 PL m-2and feed conversion efficiency was significantly better for those previouslystocked at 400 and 1,200 PL m-2. These results suggest the existenceof partial compensatory growth in M. rosenbergii, what can successfullycarry on stocking of prawns of this species at high densities in the nurseryphase.
