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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Subtropical Plant Pathology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #403647
Research Project: Establishing Seedstocks for the U.S. Marine Finfish Industry

Location: Subtropical Plant Pathology Research

Title: Influence of broodstock nutrition on egg quality and fatty acid composition in California Yellowtail

Author
item CHIN, LI SUN - Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
item MEJRI, SAHAR - Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
item WILLS, PAUL - Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
item STUART, KEVIN - Hubbs-Sea World
item DRAWBRIDGE, MARK - Hubbs-Sea World

Submitted to: North American Journal of Aquaculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/5/2023
Publication Date: 9/28/2023
Citation: Chin, L., Mejri, S., Wills, P., Stuart, K., Drawbridge, M. 2023. Influence of broodstock nutrition on egg quality and fatty acid composition in California Yellowtail. North American Journal of Aquaculture. 86:3-16. https://doi.org/10.1002/naaq.10318.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/naaq.10318

Interpretive Summary: Three broodstock diets were tested on California Yellowtail broodstock where Diet A and Diet B were commercial pellets and Diet C was raw cut bait. To determine which diet was most successful, physiological parameters like egg hatch success rate was used along with biochemical data which comprised of fatty acid composition of eggs. The results from this study showed that Diet B achieved better egg diameter, oil diameter, and fecundity but lower hatch rate and survival rate than Diet A. In terms of fatty acid composition, the commercial diets met more nutritional requirements, but all diets were still unable to fully meet nutritional demands required by broodstock eggs.

Technical Abstract: The California yellowtail (CYT; Seriola dorsalis) is a marine finfish species with valuable culture potential due to its commercial worth in the US. Despite the critical roles broodstock feed play in the culmination of every cultured species, it is often overlooked, especially for the Seriola species. Broodstock like the CYT successively spawn multiple times during one spawning season and rely entirely on their diet to supply nutrients to these eggs. Lipids and their specific fatty acids (FA) are paramount for successful development to larvae, as they provide energy and build cell membranes. The objective of this study is to test the effects of different broodstock diets on egg production, quality and nutritional composition, with an emphasis on fatty acids. Broodstock (F1 generation) were divided into six replicates (n = 6), with 1 female and 2 males per replicate and fed three treatments: a control cut bait diet (Diet A), and two commercial diets (Diet A and Diet B). For each spawn event, biometrics were collected along with samples for FA analysis. Results were different for each diet treatment, with egg diameter, oil diameter, and fecundity being higher in Diet B treatment, while hatch rate and survival being better in Diet A. FA profiles in the eggs mirrored their diets, with the two commercial diets treatments showing sufficient content of eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and arachidonic (ARA) FAs. However, for Diet C treatment, these FAs were deficient, with docosahexanoic acid (DHA) showing deficiency in all treatments. Although results of this study suggest that commercial diets met more nutritional requirements than the cut bait diet, they are still unable to completely meet nutritional demands of CYT broodstock. These results reveal important data that could lead to improved diets and feeding protocols for the production of CYT and Seriola species with further research.