Performance of Larval Walleye Cultured Intensively in Clear and Turbid Water1

Experiments were conducted to determine the performance of larval walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) reared in clear, 0.2 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU), and turbid water, 20 or 50 NTU, on formulated feed. Larvae were cultured for 21, 28, or 30 days posthatch in four trials with 3 or 4 replicate tanks per treatment (clear and turbid) in each trial. Duration of each trial was dependent on the arrival of newly hatched larvae for subsequent trials. The desired turbidity levels were obtained by pumping a solution of clay to the culture tanks every 20 (trial 1) or 30 min (trials 2, 3 and 4). Other than turbidity, all environmental conditions (dissolved oxygen, alkalinity, pH, total ammonia, un-ionized ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, chloride, and hardness) and rearing techniques were similar between treatments. Larvae were stocked at 20/L and fed formulated feed (Fry Feed Kyowa B-400 and B-700) every 3 to 7 min, 24 hours per day. Significant differences in feed acceptance and total length between larvae in the clear and turbid water were observed as early as 7d posthatch. Larvae in turbid water began eating the formulated diet one to two days before those in clear water. In all trials, survival, final length, and final weight of larvae reared in water of high turbidity were significantly greater than for larvae reared in clear water. Mean survival (±SE) for all four trials was 27.7 ± 5.6% in high turbidity water and 5.9 ± 1.3% in clear water. At the end of the trials, mean total length of the larvae reared in turbid water was at least 3.2mm (15%) greater than that in the clear water. Mean final weight of the larvae from turbid water was 2.25 times greater than larvae from clear water over the four trials. In two of the four trials, gas bladder inflation (GBI) of larvae reared in high turbidity was significantly greater than for fish reared in clear water, but the difference in GBI was not significant in the other two trials. In this study, performance of larval walleye was greatly enhanced by water with a turbidity of at least IS NTU.     

Can the polyculture with South American catfish improve the feeding efficiency of rainbow trout culture?

The objective of this study was to determine if the South American catfish (Rhamdia quelen) is suitable to be farmed in polyculture with rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in intensive systems during the juvenile phase to maximize feed efficiency. Juveniles of rainbow trout (3.94?±?0.11 g) and South American catfish (2.07?±?0.04 g) were distributed in 16 tanks (100 L) with continuous water renewal at the density of 50 fish/tank. The experimental design was completely randomized with four treatments (proportions between species) and four replicates. The treatments were 100% trout (100T), 70% trout and 30% catfish (70T30C), 50% trout and 50% catfish (50T50C), and 100% catfish (100C). Fish were fed twice daily with pelleted commercial feed (45% crude protein) during an experimental period of 56 days. No feed was provided for the catfish in polyculture. The weight gained by the trout was higher in polyculture. Fish survival did not differ among the treatments. The average survival of the trout in all tanks was 99.6?±?1.0%, while the survival of the South American catfish was 97.9?±?2.7%. The total feed conversion ratio was lower in the 70T30J treatment, followed by the 100T treatment. Rainbow trout and South American catfish are compatible species for farming together in the first phase of their juvenile development. The different spaces occupied by these species inside tanks probably prevent competition or agonistic behavior. Catfish eat the non-ingested leftover diet from the trout, which improves feed conversion and increases sustainability.     

Species‐specific effects of subdaily temperature fluctuations on consumption,growth and stress responses in two physiologically similar fish species

Fluctuations in water temperature can have important physiological consequences for fishes. Effects of daily thermal cycles are well studied and can be beneficial, increasing prey consumption and growth rates when mean and maximum temperatures of the fluctuations are at or below the species’ optimum temperature. While less studied, subdaily temperature fluctuations are also common in many aquatic habitats and can be caused by both natural and anthropogenic processes. We performed laboratory experiments to examine how two fish species (yellow perch, Perca flavescens, and walleye, Sander vitreus) with similar thermal preferences respond to chronic exposure to subdaily temperature variability. We selected temperature treatments that reflected observed thermal variation after examining water temperature data from multiple aquatic systems. We then separately exposed yellow perch and walleye to a stable 23 °C treatment and 12‐h cycles of 23 ± 2 °C or 23 ± 4 °C for 45 days. Adult yellow perch exposed to fluctuations of 23 ± 4 °C over 12 h expressed higher consumption, growth and food conversion efficiency than fish experiencing stable 23 °C. Temperature fluctuations, though, resulted in mortalities and the development of skin ulcers in yellow perch that did not occur under stable temperatures. In contrast, the same 12‐h temperature fluctuations did not result in mortalities or stress responses in juvenile walleye. Moreover, unlike yellow perch, growth rates of walleye were lower under 12‐h temperature fluctuations compared with the stable 23 °C treatment. Our results indicate that species with similar thermal preferences can respond differently to the same subdaily temperature fluctuations.     

Use of Krill Hydrolysate as a Feed Attractant for Fish Larvae and Juveniles

Abstract.— We determined the effect of krill hydrolysate as a feed attractant in three freshwater fish species: yellow perch Perca flavescens . walleye Stizostedion vitreium . and lake whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis . Growth trials were conducted using a commercial trout starter diet (control) and the diet that was coated with liquid krill hydrolysate. The krill hydrolysate coated diet increased growth of yellow perch juveniles by 31% compared to control diet (average final wet weight, 734 ± 33 mg and 559 ± 82 mg, respectively). Moreover. weight gains were not significantly different than for tish Id exclusively live Artemiu nauplii. Similar results were obtained with walleye juveniles fed either a trout starter diet or 5% krill hydrolysate coated diet (8.9 ± 0.25 g and 11.6 ± 5.1 g wet weight, respectively). The food conversion ratio (FCR) was lower in fish fed the control diet, although not significantly different (2.95 ± 0.18 and 3.69 ± 0.39. for control and coated diet. respectively). The effect of krill hydrolysate on dry diet ingestion rates of lake whitefish and yellow perch larvae was also determined using radioactive (¹⁴C) labelling. A commercial starter diet was coated with krill hydrolysate or the soluble fraction of krill hydrolysate was added to the experimental tank water. In both species. coating the diet with 5% krill hydrolysate resulted in significantly higher ingestion rates. Supplementation of krill hydrolysate soluble fraction to the tank water resulted in 200% increase in ingestion rate in comparison to control (uncoated starter diet), although it was not significantly different from krill coated diet and live Artemia nauplii ingestion rates.     

Temperature-Dependent Growth Models for South Dakota Yellow Perch,Perca flavescens,Fingerling Production

Abstract

Temperature-dependent growth models were developed for juvenile yellow perch, Perca flavescens (Mitchell), in eastern South Dakota. Age-0 yellow perch were held in a circular culture tank for two months and trained to accept a pelleted diet. Five temperature treatments (16, 19, 22, 25, and 28°C) were randomly assigned in triplicate to 15, 38-L tanks containing 10 fish averaging 84±0.4 mm total length and 7.4±0.1g. Instantaneous growth rates (biweekly) for weight were highest for the 25°C treatment and lowest for the 16°C treatment. Mean length increases for the 84-day trial were 16.6, 33.3,41.1,45.1, and 40.5 mm at 16, 19,22,25, and 28°C, respectively. Mean weight increases at those respective temperatures were 4.0,11.6 15.3,17.3, and 16.6 g. Cubic polynomial equations were empirically derived to predict maximum growth rates for total length (AL, mm/day) and weight (AW, g/day) from temperature (T):

ΔL = -1.2299 + 0.1015·T + 5.566e^?04·T²-7.206e^?05·T³(r² =0.99);and ΔW = -0.6052 + 0.0508 · T - 2.287e^?04 · T² - 2.028e^?05 · T³ (r² = 0.99).

Estimates derived from these analyses indicated that maximum growth under these conditions ranged from 23.4 to 25.4°C for length and 24.8 to 26.0°C for weight. The overlap temperature range (24.8 to 25.4°C) from these model predictions should be a desirable target range for maximizing growth performance in length and weight of South Dakota yellow perch fingerlings.     

New production strategy for silver perch (Bidyanus bidyanus); over‐wintering fingerlings in a tank‐based recirculating aquaculture system

Slow growth and losses to bird predation and infectious diseases in winter can compromise the profitability of silver perch farming. To evaluate over‐wintering silver perch (Bidyanus bidyanus) in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), fingerlings (38 g) were stocked in either cages in a pond at ambient temperatures (10–21 °C) or tanks in the RAS at elevated temperatures (19–25 °C) and cultured for 125 days. Mean survival (96%), final weight (146 g), specific growth rate (1.07% day^?1) and production rate (28.1 kg m^?3) of fish in the RAS were significantly higher than for fish over‐wintered in cages (77%, 73 g, 0.53% day^?1, 11.1 kg m^?3). Fish from both treatments were then reared in cages for a further 129 days. Final mean weight of fish originally over‐wintered in the RAS was 426 g, while fish over‐wintered in cages were only 273 g. To determine optimal stocking densities, fingerlings (11.8 g) were stocked at 500, 1000 or 1500 fish m^?3 in tanks in the RAS and cultured for 124 days. Survival was not affected, but growth was significantly slower and feed conversion ratio higher at 1500 fish m^?3 compared with 500 or 1000 fish m^?3. Results demonstrate that over‐wintering silver perch in an RAS can produce large fingerlings for grow‐out in early spring. This strategy could eliminate bird predation, reduce losses to diseases and shorten the overall culture period.     

Growth performance of hybrid striped bass (Morone chrysops × M. saxatilis) fed with commercial pike perch and trout diets

Two commercial trout diets (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and one commercial pike perch diet (Sander lucioperca) were fed to hybrid striped bass (Morone chrysops × M. saxatilis) (mean initial weight ± SD of 60.7 g ± 12.1; mean initial length SD of 17.2 cm ± 1.1) for 69 days at rations of approximately 1% average body weight. While final body weight (FBW), final length (FBL) and condition factor (Cf) were not significantly influenced by diets, specific growth rate (SGR) in hybrid striped bass fed with the pike perch diet (1.15) was significantly higher than those fed with either of the two trout diets (1.04 and 1.07). The feed conversion ratio (FCR) in hybrid striped bass fed with the pike perch diet (1.0) was significantly lower than the FCR in hybrid striped bass fed with either of the two trout diets (1.1 and 1.2). When hybrid striped bass (mean initial body weight: 65.7 ± 4.5 and 127.7 ± 2.9 g) were fed with the pike perch diet twice per day until satiation for 52 days, the SGR was 1.7 and 1.15% d^?1 in fishes with an average body weight of 116 and 183 g, respectively. Present results demonstrate that growth performance in hybrid striped bass can be improved when fishes are fed with commercial pike perch diets rather than using commercial trout diets as is the current practice.

     

Potential use of Artemia biomass by‐products from Artemia cyst production for the nursing of goby Pseudapocryptes elongatus in Vietnam: effects on growth and feed utilization

The present study was performed to evaluate the effect of using Artemia biomass, by‐product from Artemia cyst production on growth and feed utilization of goby Pseudapocryptes elongatus fingerlings. A control diet containing fishmeal as main protein source was compared with four experimental diets in which fishmeal protein was replaced by increasing dietary levels of Artemia protein, namely 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%. The five test diets were compared with a commercial diet and dried Artemia. All diets were formulated to be equivalent in crude protein (360–370 g kg^?1) and lipid (58–65 g kg^?1). The experiment was conducted in 80 L plastic tanks filled with water at a salinity of 15 g L^?1. Goby fingerlings with 0.21 g initial weight were fed the test diets for 30 days. The results showed that weight gain and specific growth rate of goby were positively correlated with total feed intake. Moreover, growth performances and feed utilization in the fry receiving the commercial feed and fishmeal control diet were similar, both were inferior to the groups fed dried Artemia and the based formulated diets. These results illustrate that both dried Artemia and Artemia‐based feeds can be used for feeding goby fingerlings, indicating the high potential of using locally produced Artemia biomass, which could contribute to reduce the reliance on fishmeal and improve profits for Artemia producers.     

Methods of microbial control in marine fish larval rearing: clay‐based turbidity and passive larval transfer

This study focused on methods to reduce bacterial loads in the larval culture tanks of California yellowtail (Seriola lalandi). We conducted two trials to evaluate methods to minimize bacterial loads in the larval rearing water. The first trial examined the use of bentonite clay as a turbidity agent to replace algae in a green water‐type environment. This trial consisted of three treatments: (1) clay with continuous feeding (CCO), (2) clay with batch feedings (CBA) and (3) algae paste with batch feedings (ALG). The results showed that both clay treatments had significantly fewer Vibrio colonies in the water column (CBA – 180 ± 78; CCO – 377 ± 120 CFU mL^?1) than the ALG treatment (5692 ± 2396 CFU mL^?1) after 14 days of culture. Survival was significantly higher in the CCO treatment (14.1 ± 2.6%) than either the CBA (2.3 ± 0.5%) or ALG treatments (2.8 ± 1.5%). The second trial attempted to limit bacterial loading in the larval culture tank by passively transferring the larvae into an adjacent, clean tank at 1, 5 and 9 days post hatch during the first 2 weeks of culture. The results from this trial showed that after 12 days of culture, water in the transfertank had fewer Vibrio colonies (1025 ± 541 CFU mL^?1) than the water in the control tanks (1962 ± 1415 CFU mL^?1). Also, survival was significantly higher among larvae that were transferred (43.9 ± 13.5%) than in the control tanks (23.1 ± 6.3%).     

Pond production of Pacific white shrimp,Litopenaeus vannamei,fed grain distillers dried yeast

The objective of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of four diets formulated to contain increasing levels (0, 50, 100 and 150 g kg^?1 of diet) of grain distillers dried yeast (GDDY) in production diets for Litopenaeus vannamei, reared in outdoor tanks or production ponds. The production pond trial was carried out in 16, 0.1‐ha ponds using four replicates per diet. Juvenile shrimp (38.1 ± 4.26 mg, initial weight) were stocked at 30 shrimp m^?2 for a 16‐week period. The same four diets and a commercial reference diet were offered to shrimp maintained in outdoor tanks over a 12‐week period. A total of 20 tanks were stocked with juvenile shrimp (3.05 ± 0.22 g, initial weight) obtained from production ponds at a density of 30 shrimp per tank (40 shrimp m^?2). At the conclusion of these trials, mean final weight ranged from 19.77 to 23.05 g, yield ranged between 4760 and 5606 kg ha^?1, survival ranged from 69.6% to 89.4%, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) was between 1.02 and 1.23. Shrimp reared in the outdoor tanks confirmed the results of the pond trial. Mean final weight ranged between 18.12 and 18.97 g, survival ranged from 93.3% to 98.3%, and FCR was between 1.25 and 1.29. In both trials, there were no significant differences regarding mean final weight, FCR and survival among dietary treatments. Based on this study, GDDY up to 150 g kg^?1 of diet can be used in L. vannamei commercial feed formulation.     

Development of a feeding strategy for silver perch, Bidyanus bidyanus (Mitchell), based on restricted rations

To develop a feeding strategy for the Australian freshwater fish silver perch (Bidyanus bidyanus Mitchell), a series of eight experiments was done in 1 m³ cages in an aerated, earthen pond to determine the effects of feeding rate (% body weight) and feeding frequency (no. of feeds day^?1) on the growth and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of fingerlings and larger fish under ambient water temperatures over the range 13.8–30.6°C. Fish were fed extruded pellets of a silver perch diet containing 34% digestible protein and 14 MJ kg^?1 digestible energy. Commercial silver perch farmers were consulted about feeding practices for large fish (>500 g) and at water temperatures below 12°C, and winter feeding practices for other warmwater species were used to complete the strategy. In the feeding experiments, growth and FCR increased with increasing feeding rates to a level above which only FCR increased. Optimal feeding rates and frequencies were those which resulted in maximal growth, while minimizing effort (feeding frequency) and FCR. The highest feeding frequency required for maximal growth, including that of small fingerlings was twice (2 ×) daily, and the optimal feeding rates varied with water temperature and size of fish. The optimal daily regimes were: small fingerlings (initial mean weight, 2.0 g) 7.5% 2 × at a mean temperature of 23.3°C; fingerlings (14.9–27.7 g) 7.5% 2 × at 27.1°C, 5.0% 2 × at 23.7°C and 2.0% 1 × at 16.8°C; and large silver perch (162.5–510.6 g) 0.5% 1 × daily or 1.0% on alternate days at 15.6°C, 1.0% 1 × at 17.3°C, 3.0% 2 × at 24.1°C and 2.0% 2 × at 27.9°C. It is suggested that regimes of 0.5% 1 × daily for fingerlings (<50 g) and 0.5% 1 × on alternate days for larger fish are used at temperatures of 9–12°C, and 0.5% 3 days week^?1 and 0.5% 1 day week^?1 for fingerlings and larger fish, respectively, at 6–9°C. Feed inputs should not exceed 150 kg ha^?1 day^?1 in ponds less than 0.3 ha and 100 kg ha^?1 day^?1 in larger ponds. Our research has established a feeding strategy for silver perch based on restricted rations.     

The Potential of Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) By-Products as Alternative Protein Sources in the Diet of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

The nutritional suitability and cost effectiveness of groundnut cake (GNC) and groundnut husk (GNH) as protein sources in the diet of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), mean initial weight 4.24 ± 0.20 g, was evaluated over a 56-day growth period. Five isonitrogenous (320 gkg^?1), isolipidic (100 gkg^?1), and isoenergetic (18 KJg^?1) test diets were formulated in which GNC proteins replaced fish meal (FM) protein at levels of 25% and 50%, and GNH protein at 10% and 20%. The control diet had FM as the sole protein source. The growth experiment was conducted in plastic tanks in a recirculation system; each dietary treatment was in triplicate. After feeding fish at 4%–6% body weight per day, GNC and GNH protein replacements up to 50% and 20%, respectively, did not significantly (P < 0.05) affect growth and feed utilization. The study indicated that GNC and GNH protein could replace at least 50% and 20% of fish meal protein, respectively, in the diet of O. niloticus fingerlings without adversely affecting growth, feed efficiency, whole body composition, and nutrient digestibility. Generally the GN by-products-based diets were more cost-effective than the fish meal-based diet, particularly GNH replacing 20% fish meal protein.     

Effect of dietary lipid and protein levels with different protein to energy ratios on growth performance,feed utilization and body composition of Rutilus frisii kutum (Kamenskii, 1901) fingerlings

A 3 × 5 factorial design including three lipid levels (100, 130 and 180 g kg^?1 diet, based on dry matter) and five dietary protein levels (370, 420, 470, 520 and 570 g kg^?1 diet, based on dry matter) was conducted to investigate the optimum dietary lipid and protein requirements for Rutilus frisii kutum fingerlings. Triplicate groups of 80 kutum (500 ± 60 mg initial weight) were stocked in 250‐l tanks and fed to apparent satiation thrice daily for 8 weeks. The results showed that the growth performance and feed utilization were significantly (P < 0.05) affected by dietary protein and lipid levels. Weight gain, specific growth rate and feed conversion ratio of kutum improved significantly with increasing protein level from 370 to 470 g protein kg^?1 diet, but there was a significant decrease in growth parameters with increasing protein level from 470 to 570 g protein kg^?1 diet. Also, the higher values of weight gain, specific growth rate and better feed conversion ratio were observed for fish fed diets containing 130 g kg^?1 lipid diet. The results of this study showed that diet containing 420 g kg^?1 protein and 130 g kg^?1 lipid with a P:E ratio of 19.22 mg protein kJ^?1 of gross energy is optimal for kutum fingerlings.     

Effects of Tank Wall Color and Up-welling Water Flow on Growth and Survival of Eurasian Perch Larvae (Perca fluviatilis)

The influence of tank wall color and up‐welling water flow on growth and survival of Eurasian perch larvae (Perca fluviatilis) was tested in an intensive culture system. Newly hatched larvae were fed Artemia nauplii, later combined with dry feed, and reared for 5 wk in either black tanks with up‐welling water flow or in gray tanks with or without up‐welling water flow. The perch larvae grew significantly faster in black tanks than in gray tanks regardless of water flow. Two weeks after hatching, a significantly higher mean weight was shown in larvae reared in black tanks compared to larvae reared in gray tanks with up‐welling water flow, and after 4 wk, the mean weight was significantly higher than in both of the other treatments. The difference in growth was further enhanced during the last week of the experiment, and the final mean weights were 51.1 ± 1.9 mg in black tanks with up‐welling water flow, 23.8 ± 2.1 mg in gray tanks with up‐welling water flow, and 23.7 ± 2.2 mg in gray tanks without up‐welling water flow. The cumulative mortality at the end of the experiment averaged 75% in all treatment groups. Taken together, the enhanced growth of Eurasian perch larvae in black tanks could be explained by high prey contrast and increased prey consumption. Up‐welling water flow had no impact on growth and survival of the perch larvae in gray tanks, indicating that the availability and consumption of the prey were independent of water movement.     

Spirulina as a natural carotenoid source on growth, pigmentation and reproductive performance of yellow tail cichlid Pseudotropheus acei

A feeding trial on yellow tail cichlid Pseudotropheus acei (Regan 1922) was undertaken to asses the effect of dietary Spirulina meal as a natural carotenoid source. Four experimental diets were formulated to progressively replace 0% (C), 2.5% (SP2.5), 5% (SP5) and 10% (SP10) of fish meal weight. Ten fish per tank (initial weight 3.75?±?0.02?g) were randomly distributed into twelve 80?l fiberglass tanks connected to a closed recirculation system (temperature 26.7?±?0.06°C). The diets were tested in triplicate for 12?weeks. The specific growth rate of fish fed all Spirulina diets were significantly higher compared to diet C. Feed intake (FI) tended to increase with dietary Spirulina level, and fish fed diet SP10 had significantly higher FI values compared to diet C. No significant differences in feed conversion ratio were observed among these groups. Although the protein efficiency ratio of fish fed diet C was lower than that of all Spirulina diets, no significant differences were observed among these groups (P?>?0.05). The total egg production and hatching rate (%) of eggs derived from all fish fed with Spirulina diets was significantly higher compared those from fish fed diet C. The yellow and blue coloration of yellow tail cichlid fed the diet containing Spirulina meal was enhanced and inclusion of dietary Spirulina meal was elevated carotenoids in skin. Results of the present study indicated that Spirulina meal has the potential to enhance the growth, reproductive performance and coloration on yellow tail cichlid.     

Effects of tank color on the growth,stress responses,and skin color of snakeskin gourami (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Trichogaster pectoralis</Emphasis>)

The effects of tank color on the growth, stress responses, and skin color of snakeskin gourami (Trichogaster pectoralis) were investigated in this study. Fish with initial body weights of 5.03±0.00 g were reared in five experimental tank colors (white, red, green, blue, and black) for 8 weeks. Each tank color was tested in triplicate with an initial stocking density of 15 fish per tank. Fish were fed with commercial sinking pellets at 4% of the average body weight per day. Growth performance, feed utilization efficiency, stress indicators (hematocrit, blood glucose, plasma cortisol levels), and skin color parameters were investigated. The fish reared in blue tanks had a significantly higher average final body weight (9.73?±?0.14 g) and significantly lower average feed conversion ratio (3.42?±?0.12) than the fish reared in black tanks (P?<?0.05). The fish reared in black tanks exhibited higher average hematocrit (36.63?±?1.11%), blood glucose (48.33?±?1.45 mg dL^?1), and plasma cortisol (9.00?±?0.56 μg dL^?1) levels than those reared in the other tank colors. However, the blood glucose levels in only the fish reared in black tanks were significantly higher than those in the fish reared in the other tank colors. The fish skin color ranged from very pale (high skin lightness) in the white tanks to very dark (low skin lightness) in the black tanks, and 80% of the variation in skin lightness were explained by the tank lightness. The use of a blue tank resulted in normal skin color; hence, blue tanks will not affect the customer acceptance of the fish. Our study revealed that blue is the most appropriate tank color for culturing snakeskin gourami.     

Effect of Culture Temperature on Growth, Survival, and Biochemical Composition of Yellow Perch Perca fiavescens

Juvenile yellow perch Perca fiavescens were evaluated under controlled conditions in tanks for 13 wk to determine the effect of temperature on growth to advanced sizes under intensive culture conditions. Yellow perch weighing 6.6 ± 1.5 g were stocked into nine 4,755-L tanks at 131 fish/m³ (625 perch/tank). There were three replicate tanks per temperature (20, 24, and 28 C). Perch were fed to apparent satiation twice daily using a 45% crude protein diet with 16% crude fat. After 93 d the perch in the 24 C treatment were significantly larger ( P < 0.05) than those in the 20 C and 28 C treatments, which were not significantly different (P < 0.05) from each other. Yellow perch raised at 28 C had significantly higher ( P < 0.05) feed conversion ratios and significantly lower ( P < 0.05) survival and net protein utilization than perch raised at 20 C or 24 C. Whole body moisture was significantly higher in ( P < 0.05) yellow perch raised at 20 C which also had significantly higher levels of arachidonic acid (20:4 n-6) and docosohexaenoic acid (22:6 n-3). The ratio of palmitic acid (16:0) and palmitoleic acid (16:1 n-6) had a positive correlation ( P < 0.05) with culture temperature. These data indicate that 24 C may be an optimum temperature for yellow perch. At 20 C survival and feed conversion are good but growth rates are reduced. Temperatures near 28 C appear sufficient to represent chronic stress conditions.     

Effect of dietary protein levels on growth,feed utilization and carcass composition of endangered bagrid catfish Horabagrus brachysoma (Gunther 1864) fingerlings

An 84‐day feeding trial was conducted to study the effect of different levels of dietary protein, 250 (P25), 300 (P30), 350 (P35), 400 (P40) and 450 g (P45) kg^?1 dry matter (DM) on growth, feed intake, feed utilization and carcass composition of bagrid catfish Horabagrus brachysoma fingerlings. Triplicate groups of fingerlings with mean initial body weight of 2.2 g were fed the experimental diets twice daily, till satiation, in 150‐L tanks supplied with flow‐through freshwater. Daily dry matter intake by the fingerlings decreased significantly (P < 0.05) when fed P25 diet, containing 250 g protein kg^?1. The highest body weight gain, specific growth rate (SGR) and protein efficiency ratio (PER), and the lowest feed conversion ratio (FCR) were observed in fish fed 350 g protein kg^?1 diet. The fish fed with P45 diet had the lowest (P < 0.05) carcass lipid content. The polynomial regression analysis indicates that H. brachysoma fingerlings require 391 g dietary crude protein kg^?1 diet.     

Survival and behavioural responses of cool and warm water fish sedated with AQUI‐S®20E (10% eugenol) at high loading densities

This study evaluated the effects of AQUI‐S^®20E (10% eugenol) sedation on the survival and behaviour of yellow perch Perca flavescens (Mitchill) and Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus L. held in high loading densities. Fish were held in 0–300 mg L^?1 AQUI‐S^®20E (0–30 mg L^?1 eugenol) for up to 10 h in static tanks. At 17°C, yellow perch held in 200 and 300 mg L^?1 AQUI‐S^®20E were lightly sedated for up to 7 h. Yellow perch at 200 and 300 mg L^?1 AQUI‐S^®20E also had >95% mean survival 7‐days post exposure using loading densities up to 360 g L^?1. Nile tilapia were only sedated for ≤3 h in concentrations up to 300 mg L^?1 at 22°C and had >90% mean survival at loading densities ≤480 g L^?1. Ammonia in tanks increased significantly as loading density increased, but treatment with AQUI–S^®20E did not reduce ammonia accumulation. Results suggest that AQUI–S^®20E was effective to sedate yellow perch and Nile tilapia at high loading densities, but sedation varied with loading density and species.     

Total fish meal replacement with rapeseed protein concentrate in diets fed to rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum)

The potential of rapeseed protein concentrate as fish meal alternative in diets for rainbow trout (initial average weight 37.8?±?1.4?g) was evaluated. Nine experimental tanks of a freshwater flow-through system were stocked with 12 fish each. Triplicate groups of fish received isonitrogenous (47.9?±?0.5% CP) and isoenergetic (22.4?±?0.2?kJ?g^?1) experimental diets with 0, 66 and 100% of fish meal substituted with rapeseed protein concentrate (71.2% CP), thereby providing 0, 29 and 43% of dietary protein. As the amino acid profile of rapeseed protein concentrate was comparable to fish meal, there was no need to supplement experimental diets with synthetic amino acids. At the end of the 84?days of feeding period, fish growth performance, feed intake and feed efficiencies were not compromised, when 100% of fish meal in the control diet was replaced with rapeseed protein concentrate, revealing a SGR of 1.19 or 1.10, a FCR of 1.09 or 1.18 and a feed intake of 78.5 or 74.7?g in fish fed on the control diet or fed the diet devoid of fish meal, respectively. Intestinal morphology did not reveal any histological abnormalities in all dietary groups. Blood parameters including haematocrit and haemoglobin as well as glucose, triglycerides and total protein in the plasma were not different between treatment groups. Thus, the rapeseed protein concentrate tested here has great potential as an alternative to fish meal in rainbow trout diets.