A Systematic Review of Biofloc Technology and Periphyton in Giant Freshwater Prawn ( Macrobrachium rosenbergii ) Aquaculture

ABSTRACT Biofloc technology (BFT) and periphyton‐based aquaculture emerged as sustainable strategies to enhance the production of giant freshwater prawn ( Macrobrachium rosenbergii ), a globally important aquaculture species. The sector faces persistent challenges, including declining water quality, dependence on commercial feed, high production costs and fluctuating survival rates (SRs). As demand grows for eco‐efficient culture systems, BFT and periphyton have emerged as promising alternatives due to their capacity for nutrient recycling, natural food production and reduced environmental impact. Following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses) framework, peer‐reviewed articles from 2005 to 2024 indexed in Scopus and PubMed were screened to compare growth performance, feed utilization, water quality and production efficiency between the two systems. The key findings include growth parameters, proximate composition of M. rosenbergii , bacterial loads, proximate composition of biofloc and periphyton and water quality parameters were compared by these techniques. BFT showed a SR of 75.10% in the nursery phase and 78.40% in the grow‐out phase, whereas periphyton systems achieved 65.90% survival during grow‐out. Future research should prioritize the integration of advanced technologies—such as Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), big data, cloud computing, 5G, automatic identification systems, high‐resolution satellite imagery, machine learning, in situ sensor networks and robotics—into BFT and periphyton to enhance efficiency and sustainability of these system. Strategic application of BFT in nursery rearing and periphyton in grow‐out may provide an effective pathway for reducing costs, improving productivity and enhancing environmental resilience in M. rosenbergii aquaculture.