In periphyton-based aquaculture, the various invertebrates
that colonize the hard substrates provided in
ponds supplement artificial feed, while the sheltering
substrates minimize the territorial effects of the cultured
animals. In research, the authors concluded that
a density of 30,000 animals/ha and 3:1 ratio of tilapia
and prawns were the best for periphyton-based culture
of those species.