The present investigation is on the performance of six feeds compounded using fishmeal, shrimp meal,groundnut oil cake and clam meal to determine the appropriate protein: calorie ratios. Six protein (%): gross energy (kcal.100 g-1) combinations (22.43: 413.69, 31.99: 451.63, 35.71: 456.02, 43.28: 407.68, 47.65:451.80 and 52.68:469.76) were evaluated in the early juveniles of the Indian white shrimp Fenneropenaeus indicus (average initial weight: 0.43 + 0.03 g) . The P/E ratio i.e., mg protein. kcal-1 of these diets was 54.22, 70.83, 78.31, 106.16, 105.47 and 112.14. Weight gain, relative growth rate (RGR), specific growth rate (SGR), protein efficiency ratio (PER) and food conversion ratio (FCR), apparent dry matter digestibility (ADMD) and apparent protein digestibility (APD) were assessed. Second degree polynomials were fitted with the data set to derive optimum levels of protein and GE. The best performance was observed with the protein: GE combinations 2 and 5 respectively suggesting a protein sparing of 15% with an increase of 30% non-protein energy constituents in the diet. Optimum levels of protein and GE were 31.74% and 430.95 kcal 100g-1 with a P/E ratio of 86.18. Nursery feeds with the above derived protein: energy density can be formulated with locally available feed ingredients and applied in nursery rearing systems of the Indian white shrimp. F. indicus is found capable of utilizing high amount of carbohydrates compared to closely related penaeid shrimps.

Fenneropenaeus indicus, calorie: protein ratios, gross energy, digestible energy