Author
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Weirich, Charles |
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Submitted to: Book of Abstracts Aquaculture America
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 10/9/2008 Publication Date: 2/1/2009 Citation: Weirich, C.R. 2009. Evaluation of commercial Artemia enrichment products on growth, survival, stress tolerance, and fatty acid composition of larval Florida pompano [abstract]. Book of Abstracts Aquaculture America. p.372. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Rearing live feed organisms represents the majority of time and labor associated with larviculture operations vital to the seed stock supply of marine finfish aquaculture production facilities. No information exists with respect to optimal Artemia enrichment protocols for Florida pompano Trachinotus carolinus, a high-value species with excellent potential for aquaculture in the US. This study compared growth, survival, stress tolerance, and fatty acid composition of pompano larvae fed Artemia enriched with selected commercial diets. Two 9-day rearing trials were conducted. In Trial 1, the enrichment products DC DHA Selco (Selco), Ori-Green (OG), and AlgaMac3050 (AM) were evaluated. In Trial 2, Selco, Ori-Pro (OP), and a developmental product (Selco QI) were compared. In both trials, larvae were reared using protocols developed at our facility and at 10 days post-hatch (DPH) were stocked into a recirculating aquaculture system composed of 12, 110-L tanks at a rate of 7.7 (Trial 1) and 9.1 larvae/L (Trial 2). Four replicate tanks were used for each enrichment treatment. At 11 DPH, larvae were fed 2nd instar Artemia enriched with experimental diets four times daily at a rate of 2-2.5 prey/ml/feeding. At 20 DPH, wet and dry weights of recently metamorphosed juveniles were determined, and total length (TL), standard length (SL), and body depth (BD) were measured by image analysis. Stress tolerance was assessed by acute hypersaline exposure (100 g/L). Survival was also determined and Artemia and fish samples were collected for fatty acid analysis. Results revealed that with the exception of dry weight in Trial 1 and BD in Trial 2, no differences existed among enrichment diets with respect to growth, as well as survival. In Trial 1, stress tolerance of fish fed Artemia enriched with AM was reduced relative to that of fish fed Selco and OG-enriched Artemia. In Trial 2, fish fed Artemia enriched with OP died immediately after being transferred to hypersaline conditions. Fatty acid composition of Artemia enriched with tested products will be presented as well as that of sampled fish. |
