Influence of light intensity on feeding, growth, and early survival of leopard coral grouper (Plectropomus leopardus) larvae under mass-scale rearing conditions

This study investigated the effect of different light intensities on feeding, growth and survival of early stage leopard coral grouper Plectropomus leopardus larvae. Four different light intensities (0, 500, 1000 and 3000 lx) were used and larvae were kept under constant light conditions from 0 day after hatching (DAH) to 5 DAH. The larvae were fed a small S-type of Thai strain rotifers at a density of 20 individuals/mL from 2 DAH. The number of rotifers in larval digestive organ and total length of larvae were examined at 3 h intervals between 04:00 and 22:00 h on 3 DAH, and thereafter at 6 h intervals until the end of the experiment (5 DAH). Four experimental trials of the larval rearing were repeated using by 60 kL mass-scale rearing tanks. The results indicate that coral grouper larvae are visual feeders and their food intake increases with increasing light intensity. Food intake of larvae reared at 3000 lx was significantly higher than those reared at 0–1000 lx on 3 DAH despite being the first-feeding day (P < 0.01). On 4 DAH, total length of larvae reared at 3000 lx was significantly larger than those reared at the lower light intensities (0, 500 and 1000 lx), and thereafter light intensity significantly influenced larval feeding and growth until the end of the experiment. Survival on 5 DAH did not show a significant difference between light intensities, but survival rate at 3000 lx and 1000 lx had a tendency to be higher than those reared at the lower light intensities (0 and 500 lx). In contrast, larvae reared at 0 lx exhibited stagnant and/or negative growth. These results indicate that light intensity is significantly the factor affecting larval feeding, growth, and survival in coral grouper larvae under the rearing conditions.     

Influence of lipid composition of live feed on growth,survival and pigmentation of turbot larvae

The effect of different lipid compositions of live feed on the survival, growth rate and pigmentation success of turbot larvae, Scophthalmus maximus (L.), was investigated. Rotifers, Brachionus plicatilis, together with the algae Tetraselmis sp., were administered until day 12, and Artemia was fed until day 27. The experimentally treated live feeds were enriched with four formulated emulsions, resulting in a gradient in the relative contents of 3 HUFA (highly unsaturated fatty acids) and in DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, 22:6 3)/EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid, 20:5 3) ratios in both the rotifers and Artemia.There were no differences in larval growth rate, and only small differences in survival rate throughout the feeding experiment, probably because of satisfactory levels of 3 HUFA in the live feed to sustain growth and survival. A correlation was obtained between the percentage of completely pigmented 27 d old turbot and the DHA/EPA ratio in the total lipids of 12 d old larvae, which again was correlated with the corresponding ratio in the live feed used. The results suggest that normal pigmentation in turbot requires dietary DHA in the early larval feeding period, and that this requirement cannot be replaced by EPA.