Effect of artificial seawater and feeding frequency on the larval culture of freshwater Amazonian ornamental fish banded cichlid Heros severus (Heckel, 1840) and angelfish Pterophyllum scalare (Schultze, 1823)

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of salinity and feeding frequency on zootechnical performance of Pterophyllum scalare and Heros severus five-day-old post-larvae. Two experiments were performed in a completely randomized experimental design in a 5 × 2 factorial scheme, with 5 different NaCl concentrations (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 g/L) and 2 feeding frequencies (2 and 4 times a day). P. scalare showed the highest survival rates (p<0.05) when subjected to salinities of 0, 2 and 4 g/L (97.50–96.25%), and higher values (p<0.05) for standard length (13.22 mm), weight (64.64 mg) and specific growth rate (15.41% per day) when fed 4 times a day. For this species, feeding frequency did not influence survival rates. H. severus, in turn, showed higher survival rates in water without the addition of salt (96.25%) and the highest standard length in salinity of 2 g/L (11.80 mm). H. severus fed 4 times a day and presented the highest values (p<0.05) for most of the growth variables (weight: 57.28 mg, specific growth rate: 18.30% per day). The results of the present study suggest that banded cichlid post-larvae showed higher survival rates in water without salt addition, however, the best growth of this species occurred at the salinity of 2 g/L. In contrast, angelfish post-larvae can be cultivated in salinities of up to 4 g/LNaCl. A feeding frequency of 4 times per day is recommended for both species.

Effect of feeding frequency on growth performance, feed transit and digestive enzyme activity of Acipenser dabryanus juveniles

“…The WGR and SGR of the fish increased significantly with increasing feeding frequency from 1 to 4 times a day; however, no significant change was observed in WGR and SGR with feeding frequency increasing from 4 to 5 meals a day, suggesting that the optimum feeding frequency for maximum growth of juvenile Dabry's sturgeons is 4 times a day. Similar results have been reported in Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ), Atlantic sturgeon, shortnose Sturgeon, Grass Carp ( Ctenopharyngodon idella ), Nile tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ), African catfish ( Clarias gariepinus ), Heros severus and Pterophyllum scalare (Eiras et al, 2019; Giberson & Litvak, 2003; Nekoubin & Sudagar, 2012; Sun et al, 2016; Okomoda et al, 2019). These results indicate that the potential for improving fish growth performance will peak after increasing the feeding frequency to a certain level (Luo et al, 2015; Rahman & Lee, 2017; Zhao et al, 2016).…”

“…African catfish (Clarias gariepinus), Heros severus and Pterophyllum scalare (Eiras et al, 2019;Giberson & Litvak, 2003;Nekoubin & Sudagar, 2012;Sun et al, 2016;Okomoda et al, 2019). These results indicate that the potential for improving fish growth performance will peak after increasing the feeding frequency to a certain level (Luo et al, 2015;Rahman & Lee, 2017;Zhao et al, 2016).…”

Stocking density in Colossoma macropomum larviculture, a freshwater fish, in recirculating aquaculture system

“…A salinity of 2 g of salt L −1 had been previously used for the species for the first 10 days of feeding with Artemia (Jomori et al., 2013). This salinity also has been beneficial in the larviculture of other freshwater species such as H. lacerdae (Luz & Portella, 2002), L. alexandri (Luz & Santos, 2008; Nascimento et al., 2020; Santos & Luz, 2009), P. coruscans and P. costatus (Santos & Luz, 2009), R. aspera (Luz & Santos, 2010), P. mesopotamicus (Jomori et al., 2012), A. ocellatus and B. amazonicus (Jomori et al., 2013), O. niloticus (Luz et al., 2013), Pterophyllum scalare and Heros severus (Eiras et al., 2019), B. splendens (Fabregat et al., 2017), and B. vonoi (Coraspe‐Amaral et al., 2017), showing it to be a great alternative for intensive larviculture of freshwater fish.…”

Optimal management improves Flowerhorn fish larviculture

“…Feeding strategies in ornamental fish larviculture have been used to improve the growth performance, reduce cost and maintain the water quality suitable for captive rearing (Abe et al, 2019; Eiras et al, 2019; Pereira et al, 2016). In ornamental cichlid species such as Pterophyllum scalare and Heros severus , the larvae must fed four meals per day for best performance (Eiras et al, 2019). However, this does not apply to the Flowerhorn, which demonstrated satisfactory growth with meals twice per day.…”

“…Similar results occurred with the larvae of Pyrrhulina brevis , which also needs meals twice per day (Abe et al, 2016). This strategy with two meals per day represents lower costs to the fish farmer, making it more profitable than the strategy of four meals per day (Eiras et al, 2019).…”