Effects of different live Artemia and chironomid larvae and dry feeds in adaptation to weaning strategies on growth performance, survival rate and digestive enzyme of Siberian sturgeon, Acipenser baerii

Mohseni, Mahmoud; Pajand, Zabihollah; Hashemi, Omid; Sarpanah, Ali Naghi; Ghorbani Vaghei, Reza; Sohrabi, Touraj; Abdolhay, Hossein Ali; Seyyed Hassani, Mir Hamed; Monsef Shokri, Maryam; Yeganeh, Houshang; Ghasemian, Sajjad; Yousefi, Soheil

doi:10.22124/janb.2024.28696.1259

Effects of different live Artemia and chironomid larvae and dry feeds in adaptation to weaning strategies on growth performance, survival rate and digestive enzyme of Siberian sturgeon, Acipenser baerii

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

¹ International Sturgeon Research Institute, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Rasht, Guilan, Iran

² Gwar Kavir Company Aria, Rafsanjan, Kerman, Iran

³ Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran

10.22124/janb.2024.28696.1259

Abstract

Introduction: The initial feeding of larvae is a critical stage in fish development that significantly influences the enhancement of quality, reduction of skeletal abnormalities, resilience to stressful environments, and future survival rates of fish. The transition stage facilitates external feed adaptation in larvae, providing both live and formulated feeds. This period involves gradually reducing the consumption of live feed while increasing the amount of formulated feed. In this study, we aim to investigate the effects of various live feeds (such as Artemia and chironomid larvae) and dry feeds on the Siberian sturgeon, Acipenser baerii growth performance, survival rate, and digestive enzyme activity.
Materials and methods: A 34-day study was conducted to investigate the effects of mixed-formulated diets and various live feeds on growth, survival rate, and digestive enzyme activity in the larvae of Siberian sturgeon. The larvae were fed Artemia nauplii during the 8 to 20 days following larval hatching. A total of 1,500 larvae, each with an initial weight of 0.24 ± 0.00 g, were randomly distributed into 15 plastic containers, each with a capacity of 50 liters, across three replicates (n = 100). Larvae were fed using five different feeding strategies: frozen chironomid larvae (CH), frozen Artemia biomass (Ar), a combination of Artemia biomass and chironomid (M), a mixture of Artemia, chironomid and dry feed (MF), and dry feed alone (FD). All treatments replaced 10% of the consumed live feed with dry feed every three days. The larvae were fed ad libitum.
Results and Discussion: The final weight and biomass of larvae in CH were significantly higher than in M and MF. The fish in CH and then FD had the highest final weight, yield, and production value. Furthermore, CH and FD exhibited the most apparent increase in the amounts of digestive enzymes, including pepsin, trypsin, and amylase (P<0.05).
Conclusion: According to the results, Siberian sturgeon larvae experienced rapid physiological and morphological changes during the early stages of their life cycle. Dry feed with high digestibility can be used to initiate external feeding. Additionally, frozen chironomid larvae are recommended as a feed supplement during this crucial weaning stage due to their high digestibility, improved survival rate, and reduced production costs.

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