Comparison of Body Composition and Fatty Acid Profiles between Wild and Cultured Rio Grande Silvery Minnows

Abstract

Federally endangered Rio Grande Silvery Minnows (RGSM; Hybognathus amarus) were raised in one of three culture regimes: intensively, with only a hatchery diet; semi-intensively with access to natural food and hatchery diet supplementation; and with only natural food available at the Los Lunas Silvery Minnow Refugium (Los Lunas, New Mexico), a naturalized conservation refugium designed to mimic the natural environment of the RGSM in the Rio Grande. The project compared each culture regime and assessed differences and similarities in lipid and fatty acid content between feeding an artificial diet and consumption of natural food items in this species. After 117 d, whole-body lipid levels and fatty acid profiles were measured in each group and compared with values for wild RGSM. Fish fed the hatchery diet exclusively or as supplementary feed had significantly higher percent lipid (15.5% ± 0.5% and 10.6% ± 0.1%, respectively) than fish raised without access to the diet. Both groups had significantly higher percent lipid than fish raised in the refugium or wild fish (8.3% ± 0.1% and 7.8% ± 0.2%, respectively). Condition factor differed among groups and was highest in fish fed the hatchery diet (1.00) followed by fish supplemented with the hatchery diet (0.93), refugium fish (0.91), and wild fish (0.90). In this respect, refugium fish appeared more similar to wild fish than fish fed the hatchery diet or offered the diet as a supplement. Comparison of fatty acid profiles among groups showed marked differences among wild fish, refugium fish, and those fed the hatchery diet, either exclusively or as supplementary feed. Total omega-3 fatty acids, expressed as percentage of total fatty acids, were highest in wild fish but similar among other groups. Total omega-6 fatty acids showed an opposite trend, with five to nine times higher percentages of linoleic acid observed among fish from the three culture regimes compared with wild fish. Significant differences in lipid content and fatty acid composition between wild RGSM and cultured silvery minnows reflected their respective diets and culture regimes. Given similarities in fat content and condition factor with wild RGSM, we conclude that fish in the refugium do not require supplemental feeding with an artificial diet for this type of naturalized conservation management. Results from this study show that RGSM readily forage on natural food items present and also artificial feed when available, indicating dietary plasticity, which is advantageous for fish culture and future recovery.

Behavioral observations of the endangered Rio Grande silvery minnow in a conservation aquaculture facility

“…Since 2009, we have observed Rio Grande silvery minnow behavior in the refugium during fish culture projects and the spawning study. We have also observed the fish's behavior when it was raised in fiberglass tanks using production aquaculture management for other projects (Tave et al, 2012;Hutson et al, 2013Hutson et al, , 2017Powell et al, 2017).…”

Raising Fish in a Purpose‐Built Conservation Aquaculture Facility Using Conservation Aquaculture Management

“…A proximate analysis of percent body fat showed that Rio Grande Silvery Minnow raised using conservation aquaculture management had the same percent body fat as wild fish, while fish that were fed a formulated ration had a significantly greater percent body fat (Powell et al. ).…”

“…To date, only one comparison has been made between fish raised in the refugium and those raised under traditional fish culture management. A proximate analysis of percent body fat showed that Rio Grande Silvery Minnow raised using conservation aquaculture management had the same percent body fat as wild fish, while fish that were fed a formulated ration had a significantly greater percent body fat (Powell et al 2017).…”

Changes in Physiology and Stress Responses of Pellet‐Reared Largemouth Bass Fed Live‐Forage Diets

“…Hatchery‐reared Rio Grande Silvery Minnow Hybognathus amarus that were fed a diet of natural prey also had whole‐body lipid levels similar to those of wild fish (Powell et al. ). Liver glycogen was highly variable among wild populations, with relatively high levels in one population compared to the other populations.…”

“…; Powell et al. ). Use of live forage may also have other benefits, such as the potential to prepare fish behaviorally for successful foraging in natural conditions (Paszkowski and Olla ; Brown and Laland ; Wintzer and Motta ; Thompson et al.…”