Effects of Alternative Food Types on Body Size and Survival of Hatchery‐Reared Lake Sturgeon Larvae

Abstract

Aquaculture programs benefit from feeding protocols that result in large larval body size and high survival. Despite high labor, processing, and material costs relative to alternative foods, feeding live foods generally results in high larval growth and survival. For many species, studies that identify alternative food types or feeding regimens that produce larvae with high survival and size comparable with wild cohorts are lacking. In a 35-d study, the effects of alternative food types (previously frozen Artemia and trout crumble starter diet (trout diet) on TL, weight per fish, and survival of larval Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens were quantified. From days 14 to 21 postexogenous feeding, larvae were transitioned from live Artemia to one of the alternative food types or remained feeding on live Artemia as the control. At the end of the study, TL and weight per fish of larvae fed live Artemia were significantly greater than larvae fed the alternative foods. Survival of larvae fed live or frozen Artemia was higher than larvae fed the trout diet. Lower body growth and survival of larvae fed the alternative foods demonstrate that the frozen and formulated foods are not appropriate diets for Lake Sturgeon larvae.

Evaluation of Formulated Feed for Juvenile Lake Sturgeon Based on Growth Performance and Nutrient Retention

“…; Valentine et al. ). Based on those studies, formulated feed would not appear to adequately replace the live or raw feed needed to successfully rear Lake Sturgeon at the larval or juvenile stages.…”

Rainbow Darter ( Etheostoma caeruleum , Storer, 1845) predation on early ontogenetic stages of Lake Sturgeon ( Acipenser fulvescens , Rafinesque, 1817)

“…To reduce the likelihood of learning behavior, individual darter were pooled in a 1 m diameter fiberglass tank and fed a diet of frozen bloodworms (Brine Shrimp Direct) three times per day between experiments. Additionally, the BR‐SRF is a surface water facility, in which small prey items (<100 µm) are available from a single pass flow‐through system (Valentine, Bauman, & Scribner, ). Predators were again excluded from feed for 48‐hr beginning on 16 May 2019 prior to the lake sturgeon egg consumption trials.…”

Influence of the size and form of Artemia sp. nauplii on the growth and survival of Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus Mitchill) larvae

“…Using live and frozen Artemia sp. nauplii in the rearing of lake sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens (Rafinesque), and Atlantic sturgeon did not lower survival, but it did limit body weight and total length (Mohler et al 2000, Valentine et al 2017. Larval Atlantic sturgeon fed frozen feed were 35% smaller than those fed live feed (Mohler et al 2000).…”

“…Using frozen feed is a common practice in the breeding programs of many fish and crustacean species (Soares et al 2006, Nascimento et al 2020. The advantage of this type of feed is that it permits stocking and preparing quantities of it prior to planned rearing cycles, which can facilitate the process and reduce costs (Ferreira et al 2017, Stañczak et al 2017, Valentine et al 2017. Currently, there is scant information in the available literature on the possibility of using frozen Artemia sp.…”