Effects of docosahexaenoic, eicosapentaenoic, and arachidonic acids on the early growth, survival, lipid composition and pigmentation of yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea): a live food enrichment experiment

The role of dietary ratios of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n−3), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n−3) and arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4n−6) on early growth, survival, lipid composition, and pigmentation of yellowtail flounder was studied. Rotifers were enriched with lipid emulsions containing high DHA (43.3% of total fatty acids), DHA+EPA (37.4% and 14.2%, respectively), DHA+AA (36.0% and 8.9%), or a control emulsion containing only olive oil (no DHA, EPA, or AA). Larvae were fed differently enriched rotifers for 4 weeks post-hatch. At week 4, yellowtail larvae fed the high DHA diet were significantly larger (9.7±0.2 mm, P<0.05) and had higher survival (22.1±0.4%), while larvae fed the control diet were significantly smaller (7.3±0.2 mm, P<0.05) and showed lower survival (5.2±1.9%). Larval lipid class and fatty acid profiles differed significantly among treatments with larvae fed high polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) diets having higher relative amounts of triacylglycerols (18–21% of total lipid) than larvae in the control diet (11%). Larval fatty acids reflected dietary levels of DHA, EPA and AA while larvae fed the control diet had reduced amounts of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and increased levels of PUFA relative to dietary levels. A strong relationship was observed between the DHA/EPA ratio in the diet and larval size (r²=0.75, P=0.005) and survival (r²=0.86, P=0.001). Following metamorphosis, the incidence of malpigmentation was higher in the DHA+AA diet (92%) than in all other treatments (50%). Results suggest that yellowtail larvae require a high level of dietary DHA for maximal growth and survival while diets containing elevated AA exert negative effects on larval pigmentation.     

Effects of dietary eicosapentaenoic acid on growth, survival, pigmentation and fatty acid composition in Senegal sole (Solea senegalensis) larvae during the Artemia feeding period

We examined the effect of dietary eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n‐3) on growth, survival, pigmentation and fatty acid composition of Senegal sole larvae. From 3 to 40 days post‐hatch (dph), larvae were fed live food that had been enriched using one of four experimental emulsions containing graduated concentrations of EPA and constant docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n‐3) and arachidonic acid (ARA, 20:4n‐6). Final proportions of EPA in the enriched Artemia nauplii were described as ‘nil’ (EPA‐N, 0.5% total fatty acids, TFA), ‘low’ (EPA‐L, 10.7% TFA), ‘medium’ (EPA‐M, 20.3% TFA) or ‘high’ (EPA‐H, 29.5% TFA). Significant differences among dietary treatments in larval length were observed at 25, 30 and 40 dph, and in dry weight at 30 and 40 dph, although no significant correlation could be found between dietary EPA content and growth. Eye migration at 17 and 25 dph was affected by dietary levels of EPA. Significantly lower survival was observed in fish fed EPA‐H diet. Lower percentage of fish fed EPA‐N (82.7%) and EPA‐L (82.9%) diets were normally pigmented compared with the fish fed EPA‐M (98.1%) and EPA‐H (99.4%) enriched nauplii. Tissue fatty acid concentrations reflected the corresponding dietary composition. ARA and DHA levels in all the tissues examined were inversely related to dietary EPA. This work concluded that Senegal sole larvae have a very low EPA requirement during the live feeding period.     

Artemia enriched with high n-3 HUFA may give a large improvement in performance of Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus L.) larvae

Atlantic halibut larvae were fed Artemia enriched with two different oil emulsions (cod liver oil and 2050TG) from first feeding to 70 days after first-feeding (dpff). Larvae fed 2050TG enriched Artemia had better growth, survival and eye migration than larvae fed the cod liver oil enriched Artemia, while pigmentation rate was similar in the two groups. In addition to the difference in fatty acids, the two emulsions differed in lipid class composition, since 2050TG is a synthetic oil and a mixture of mono-, di- and tri-acylglycerol, while cod liver oil is a tri-acylglycerol. Total lipid level, estimated as fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) was similar in the two Artemia types, but sum of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids, arachidonic acid (20:4n-6, ARA), docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3, DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3, EPA) were higher in Artemia enriched with 2050TG than in the cod liver oil enriched Artemia. However, the main difference in fatty acid composition in the larvae, was a higher DHA (% of total fatty acids) in 2050TG larvae than in cod liver oil larvae. The lipid level measured as FAME was up to four times higher in the 2050TG larvae than in the cod liver oil larvae, and the reason for this may have been a better bioavailability of the partly digested lipid in the 2050TG emulsion. The correlation between a high level of lipid in the larval tissues (e.g. high energy status) and improved eye migration in larvae fed the 2050TG enriched Artemia supports the hypothesis that energy limitation on the larval stage may be a cause of the impaired eye migration commonly observed in farmed Atlantic halibut juveniles.     

The effect of ammonia on the growth of juvenile Dover sole, Solea solea (L.) and turbot, Scophthalmus maximus (L.)

The growth of sole and turbot was followed in groups of fish exposed to constant unionised ammonia concentrations at pH levels both at and below that of normal sea water. Low pH levels were produced by the addition of carbon dioxide. Results for both species showed evidence for a threshold level of unionised ammonia below which little or no effect on growth was evident. This level was determined to be 0.066 mg N/l for sole and 0.11 mg N/l for turbot at 16°C, 34‰ salinity. The different pH conditions did not have any marked effect on these threshold levels.Above the threshold levels growth appeared to be depressed in a linear manner with increased unionised ammonia. The rate at which growth was depressed was greatest at the low pH levels for both species. The level at which growth ceased thus decreased from 0.77 to 0.38 mg N/l for sole and from 0.9 to 0.3 mg N/l for turbot, over the pH range from 7.9 to 6.9.The absence of disease and gill damage in the experimental populations is discussed. It is suggested that this and the tolerance shown by the fish, which is higher than is generally accepted for fish in high density culture, may be due to the clean environment in which the fish were held while under test.     

Influence of dietary soybean meal levels on growth, feed utilization and gut histology of Egyptian sole (Solea aegyptiaca) juveniles

The present study was undertaken in order to determine the effect of a dietary incorporation of soybean meal (SBM) on growth performance, nutrient utilization and gut histology of Egyptian sole Solea aegyptiaca. This species, which is genetically and morphologically close to Solea solea, is currently present in the Mediterranean Sea and reared in some Italian farms, using the same techniques for S. solea production and it could represent a promising new species for Mediterranean aquaculture.Three isoproteic and isolipidic extruded diets (crude protein, 47%, crude fat, 20%) were formulated containing 0 (diet 1), 18 (diet 2) and 30% SBM (diet 3). 540 juveniles (initial body weight of 6.9 ± 0.2 g) were equally distributed into nine 150 l squared tanks (bottom surface: 520 cm²) connected with a recirculation system (temperature 20 ± 1 °C and dissolved oxygen above 6 ppm). Animals have been hand-fed twice a day (at 9.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m.) at a daily ratio of 1.5% body weight^− 1. Diets were tested in triplicate for 87 days. The fish were weighed at days 28, 57 and 87, and they were sampled at days 0, 57 and 87 for nutrient retention determination. One-way ANOVA with Newman-Keuls' post-test were used to analyze data (P ≤ 0.05).No differences in terms of palatability were observed and any diet has been consumed completely all throughout the experiment. At day 87, fish fed diet 1, 2 and 3 reached weights of 25.8 ± 0.8 g, 27.5 ± 0.9 g and 26.1 ± 1.5 g, respectively and no differences in performances or nutrient retention were found.Histopathological gut examinations have revealed no noticeable differences in the appearances of the intestines between any of diet groups. Intestinal mucosal cells presented well vacuolated upper, with well defined microvillar brush borders. On the basis of the results of this trial, SBM seems to be a good protein source for Egyptian sole and can be added in the diet up to 30% without any reduction in growth rate and no adverse effect on gut histology.     

Influence of dietary protein on essential fatty acids in the gonadal tissue of the sea urchins Psammechinus miliaris and Paracentrotus lividus (Echinodermata)

The elevated accumulation of certain essential long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) during reproductive maturation can place a significant demand on lipid metabolism. As lipid metabolism is closely linked with protein metabolism, protein intake during maturation may significantly influence transport proteins and enzyme activity which is responsible for supplying the essential fatty acids for gamete development. The present study investigated the influence of increased protein intake on the accumulation of certain long-chain PUFA in two species of commercially valuable sea urchin, Paracentrotus lividus and Psammechinus miliaris during maturation. Sea urchins were fed three macroalgal diets over a 90-day period. These diets included the red alga Palmaria palmata, which had been grown in seawater enriched with two levels of ammonia-N, which produced a high protein content (41%) or low protein content (32%). The third diet (or reference diet) used the brown macroalga Laminaria saccharina with a 23% protein content. The fatty acid composition of the gonads was determined by GC. Feeding the high protein diet had no effect on the maturation and total lipid in the gonad compared with the low protein diet, however, it did significantly increase the levels of docosahexaenoic acid DHA 22:6n-3 in the mature gonad tissue in P. miliaris and P. lividus. In contrast, only P. miliaris exhibited higher levels of arachidonic acid ARA 20:4n-6 when fed the high protein diet. The present study suggests that elevated protein levels can promote the accumulation of DHA and ARA in gonadal tissue during maturation, although the extent of the influence is species-specific and highlights the importance of understanding the complexities and inter-connectivity between protein and lipid metabolism when producing commercially valuable species.     

The effect of docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids in live food on the development of abnormal morphology in hatchery-reared brown sole Pseudopleuronectes herzensteini

We examined the effect of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on the rates of abnormal morphology in juvenile brown sole Pseudopleuronectes herzensteini. Larvae during the D–E stages (15–24 days post hatching) were fed live food containing various amounts of DHA and/or EPA prepared using emulsified oils (DHA ethyl ester, EPA ethyl ester, and corn oil). Larvae during the F–I stages were fed Artemia enriched with a commercial diet supplement. We found that DHA and EPA promoted larval development and improved the incidence of morphological abnormalities in brown sole juveniles to a similar extent. However, DHA was more effective than EPA in preventing the appearance of morphological abnormalities in brown sole. The incidence of normal morphology was clearly improved by an increase of the DHA content in brown sole larvae at 25 days post-hatching. These results suggest that it is important to promote larval development and feed larvae with live food containing high levels of DHA during the D–E stages to prevent morphological abnormalities in brown sole juveniles.     

Effect of prey type and size on the growth,survival and pigmentation of cod (Gadus morhua L.) larvae

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of natural zooplankton versus rotifers and the effect of prey size on the growth and survival of cod larvae. At 20 days post hatch (DPH) myotome height, standard length and dry mass were significantly higher in larvae fed zooplankton compared to those fed rotifers. The dry mass at age 25 DPH was 135 μg (±45), 331 μg (±114), 391 μg (±121) for larvae fed rotifers, small size and large size plankton, respectively. At 25 days post hatch, the survival rates were 41.8% (±10.5), 90.7% (±2.3) and 91.4% (±1.7) for larvae reared on rotifers, small size and large size plankton, respectively. The limited growth and survival of cod larvae reared on rotifers were not mainly caused by the small size of rotifers. Large differences in skin coloration between larvae in the rotifer group and the two zooplankton groups were observed, probably caused by the large difference in astaxanthin levels in rotifers and natural zooplankton. We suggest that the nutritional composition of rotifers is a limiting factor for cod larvae growth and survival.     

Effect of docosahexaenoic acid enrichment in Artemia on growth of Pacific bluefin tuna Thunnus orientalis larvae

Feeding enriched Artemia induces growth failure in Pacific bluefin tuna (PBT) Thunnus orientalis larvae; however, feeding of yolk-sac larvae of marine fish promotes larval growth. It is considered that this growth failure partly results from dietary docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3, DHA) deficiency. Therefore, we examined the effect of DHA contents in enriched Artemia on the growth of PBT larvae. Artemia nauplii were enriched with graded levels of DHA ethyl ester, and fed to PBT larvae for 9 days. Yolk-sac larvae of Japanese parrotfish Oplegnathus fasciatus were used as a reference diet. The DHA contents in Artemia increased with the enrichment from 0 mg g^− 1 dry weight basis (DW) to 25 mg g^− 1 DW, while the content in the reference diet was 21 mg g^− 1 DW. Feeding of enriched Artemia significantly improved the growth of PBT larvae. However, this improvement was negligible when compared with the excellent growth of the larvae that were fed the reference diet. PBT larvae that were fed the reference diet accumulated approximately twice or much higher levels of DHA in the neutral and polar lipids in the body when compared with the larvae that were fed enriched Artemia. These results show that PBT larval growth cannot be promoted by feeding enriched Artemia even if the DHA contents in Artemia are elevated to the same levels as those of yolk-sac larvae. The incorporation of dietary DHA into phospholipids in the fish body may be desirable for the normal growth of PBT larvae.     

Effects of dietary arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acids on common dentex (Dentex dentex Linnaeus 1758) larval performance

Oily emulsions containing constant levels of total fatty acids (FAs) and varying eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) levels were used to enrich rotifers. Common dentex larval survival and growth were compared between groups fed different enriched live prey. Growth, survival rate, and lipid composition of larvae suggest that feeding common dentex in the first 15 days posthatching with 2.5–3% EPA, 6–8% docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and DHA/EPA ratio of 2.0–2.5 is sufficient to fulfill their EPA requirements. Higher amounts of dietary EPA did not result in any significant improvement in growth or survival. EPA requirement during this period of larval development does not seem to be as critical as other FAs during the first 15 days of common dentex larval development, but it does not exclude its essentiality later in development. In the case of ARA, nutritional requirements are low compared to other marine finfish species, with the upper limit of this essential FA being around 2% of total FAs provided in the live prey composition.     

Importance of dietary arachidonic acid for the growth,survival and stress resistance of larval European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) fed high dietary docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids

Together with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), arachidonic acid (ARA) is being considered to be an essential fatty acid in marine fish larval diets. The objective of the present study was to determine the importance of dietary ARA levels for larval European sea bass performance, when EPA and DHA are also present in the diet. Eighteen‐day‐old larvae were fed, for 14 days, gelatine‐based microdiets containing the following ARA levels: 0.3%, 0.6% or 1.2%. Elevation of dietary ARA up to 1.2% showed a positive correlation with larval survival and a significant improvement in the specific growth rates, body weight and total length. Arachidonic acid was efficiently incorporated into larval lipids, even at a higher proportion than that in the diets. Increased accumulation of ARA did not affect the incorporation of DHA or EPA from the diet into larval total lipids. A significant positive correlation was found between dietary ARA levels and survival after handling stress, indicating the importance of this fatty acid in sea bass larvae response to acute stressors. The results show the importance of ARA for sea bass larvae, but higher dietary levels should be tested to determine whether there is a negative effect of ARA in sea bass as reported for other species.     

A comparison of fatty acid composition and quality aspects of eggs and larvae from cultured and wild broodstock of common sole (Solea solea L.)

Eggs from a F₁ cultured broodstock of sole were compared with eggs from wild‐caught breeders throughout one spawning season, to evaluate if egg quality may be affected by culture‐related conditions. Fourteen batches of eggs from cultured broodstock and 17 batches from wild‐caught sole were compared with respect to fatty acid (FA) composition, egg size, fertilization rate and hatching rate. Based on a multivariate analysis of the FA profiles, it was possible to discriminate between culture and wild inheritance. Eggs from cultured broodstock had high levels of C20:1(n‐9), C18:2(n‐6) and C18:3(n‐3), whereas eggs from wild fish had high levels of C16:1(n‐7), C20:4(n‐6) and C20:5(n‐3). Differences in FA profiles were most likely related to dietary differences. Fertilization and hatching rates were generally low and lowest in eggs from cultured broodstock, but not related to FA composition. Larval growth of one batch from each group was compared. Larval growth was not correlated to broodstock origin, FA composition or egg or larval size. However, larval survival was significantly lower for larvae from cultured broodstock.     

Effects of dietary supplementation of carotenoids on survival, growth, pigmentation, and antioxidant capacity of characins, Hyphessobrycon callistus

This study aimed to find out if dietary carotenoid (CD) supplement could make differences in survival, growth, pigmentation, and antioxidant capacity of characins Hyphessobrycon callistus, an ornamental fish. Two types of CD and its combination (AX — astaxanthin, BC — β-carotene, MX — 1:1 combination of AX and BC) at three concentrations (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg) were used resulting in nine pigmented diets. A diet without CD supplement served as control. No differences in growth and survival of the fish among treatments were found after 8 weeks rearing. Disregarding the types of dietary CD, AX dominated (> 98%) the body CD, indicating that this fish converted most dietary BC into body AX for storage. Body AX and BC content increased with increasing dietary CD concentration. Body AX in BC-fed fish was lower than that in both AX- and MX-fed fish. No difference in body AX was found between AX- and MX-fed fish, and in body BC in all pigmented fish. Serum total antioxidant status [TAS], serum antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase [SOD], glutathione peroxidases [GPx]) and serum transaminases (alanine aminotransferase [ALT], aspartate aminotransferase [AST]) were chosen as indices of fish antioxidant capacity. Antioxidant activities changed with dietary CD type and concentration. Pigmented fish had lower SOD, GPx and ALT than control fish; dietary CD types only affected SOD and ALT in fish. AX-fed fish had the lowest SOD. Dietary AX had more numbers of negative correlations with antioxidant parameters in fish than BC.     

Effects of dietary docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n‐3) and arachidonic acid (20:4n‐6) on the growth,survival, stress resistance and fatty acid composition in black sea bass Centropristis striata (Linnaeus 1758) larvae

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of the dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to arachidonic acid (ARA) ratio on the survival, growth, hypersaline stress resistance and tissue composition of black sea bass larvae raised from first feeding to metamorphic stages. Larvae were fed enriched rotifers Brachionus rotundiformis and Artemia nauplii containing two levels of DHA (0% and 10% total fatty acids=TFA) in conjunction with three levels of ARA (0%, 3% and 6% TFA). On d24ph, larvae fed the 10:6 (DHA:ARA) treatment showed significantly (P<0.05) higher survival (62.3%) than larvae fed 0:0 (DHA:ARA) (27.4%). Notochord length and dry weight were also significantly (P<0.05) greater in the 10:6 (DHA:ARA) treatment (8.65 mm, 2.14 mg) than in the 0:0 (DHA:ARA) (7.7 mm, 1.65 mg) treatment. During hypersaline (65 g L⁻¹) challenge, no significant differences (P>0.05) were observed in the median survival time (ST50) between larvae fed 10% DHA (ST50=25.6 min) and larvae fed 0% DHA (ST50=18.2 min). The results suggested that black sea bass larvae fed prey containing 10% DHA with increasing ARA within the range of 0–6% showed improved growth and survival from first feeding through metamorphic stages.     

Effect of predigested protein on growth and survival of Atlantic halibut larvae (Hippoglossus hippoglossus L.)

In this study Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus L.) larvae (0.12 ± 0.04 g) were, from day 40 post first feeding, offered six diets in which 10% or 30% of the dietary protein was hydrolysed with (a) pepsin (P), (b) pepsin + trypsin (PT) or (c) pepsin + trypsin + chymotrypsin (PTC). In addition, a diet without hydrolysed protein was offered, and enriched Artemia was fed as control. The amount of soluble protein increased progressively with the enzyme treatments P, PT and PTC and with higher inclusion levels of hydrolysed protein. Survival was highest among the larvae offered Artemia (83 ± 0%) or the diet 10P (10% pepsin hydrolysed protein; 67 ± 4%). The diet 10P supported survival significantly better than the more hydrolysed diets 10PTC, 30P, 30PT and 30PTC, but not significantly better than the non‐hydrolysed diet and 10PT. Specific growth rate (SGR) was 1.76 ± 0.20 in average for all groups of larvae and was not significantly affected by the diets. Still, the larvae offered pepsin hydrolysed diets tended to have better growth (2.10 ± 0.05 SGR; P < 0.06) than the larvae offered the other hydrolysed diets. The larvae offered the formulated diets did not differ in chemical composition.     

Effects of light intensity on growth,feeding activity and development in common sole (Solea solea L.) larvae in relation to sensory organ ontogeny

The effects of four light intensities (1000 lx, 500 lx, 50 lx, 3 lx) on growth, survival and feeding activity in common sole (Solea solea L.) larvae were studied from 4 to 51 days post hatching (dph). During the pelagic larval stage (4–12 dph), larvae reared at 3 lx showed a lower growth. From 19 onwards, the larvae reared under 3 lx displayed a significant (P ≤ 0.05) higher SGR than the other treatments and a higher final weight compared to 1000 lx and 500 lx. Survival rate was higher under intermediate light intensities (500 and 50 lx). Larvae reared at 3 lx displayed a significant delay in the degree of metamorphosis compared to the other treatments, while at 33 dph metamorphosis was completed under all treatments. Histological examination revealed the importance of vision and light in the first feeding of this species, while after metamorphosis, the full development of other sensory organs indicated that feeding activity is also mediated by chemosensory perception. Results indicate that high light intensity seems to be more suitable during the pelagic larvae, while the opposite would ensure better growth from the onset of metamorphosis to the benthic phase.     

Arachidonic acid, arachidonic/eicosapentaenoic acid ratio, stearidonic acid and eicosanoids are involved in dietary-induced albinism in Senegal sole (Solea senegalensis)

Senegal sole larvae were fed live prey enriched with different amounts of arachidonic acid (ARA, 20:4n‐6) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n‐3) to re‐evaluate the effect of these two fatty acids on flatfish pigmentation. Echium oil, a plant‐derived oil rich in gamma‐linolenic acid (18:3n‐6) and stearidonic acid (18:4n‐3) was also used as a component of one of the enrichment emulsions. Although ARA content did not have any effect on growth there was a clear influence on pigmentation that correlated clearly with prostaglandin production. Inclusion of Echium oil, on the contrary, exerted a positive effect on pigmentation rate even though dietary ARA levels were as high as in the other emulsions. The relationships between dietary ARA levels and dietary ARA/EPA ratio, prostaglandin production and pigmentation are discussed.     

Effects of dietary mannan oligosaccharides in early weaning diets on growth,survival, fatty acid composition and gut morphology of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata,L.) larvae

Early weaning of marine fish larvae with dry diets delays gut maturation and reduces growth rates. In juvenile and adult forms of several marine fish species, inclusion of dietary mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) improves gut integrity and functionality, but the effects of MOS inclusion in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata, L.) larval diets have not been addressed yet. Thus, this study assesses the effects of dietary MOS inclusion on survival, growth performance, gut morphology, feed acceptance and quality of gilthead sea bream larvae. For that purpose, 16 days post‐hatched gilthead sea bream larvae were fed four graded levels of MOS (Biomos^®, Alltech, Nicholasville, KY, USA) in weaning diets as follows: 0 g kg^?1 MOS, 0.5 g kg^?1 MOS, 1.5 g kg^?1 MOS and 2 g kg^?1MOS. Dietary MOS did not affect feed acceptance in gilthead sea bream larvae (P > 0.05). MOS supplementation was correlated in a dose‐dependent way with higher larval survival (P = 0.026). After 15 days of feeding, dietary MOS increased whole larvae (P < 0.01) arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. Gilthead sea bream larvae fed 2 g kg^?1 MOS presented higher gut occupation with goblet cells after feeding compared with larvae fed the other dietary treatments. Overall, the results suggest that inclusion of MOS in early weaning diets for gilthead sea bream improves essential fatty acid utilization and may promote growth and final survival.     

Effect of increasing docosahexaenoic acid content in weaning diets on survival,growth and skeletal anomalies of longfin yellowtail (Seriola rivoliana,Valenciennes 1833)

Five isoproteic (54.8%) and isolipidic (24.1%) microdiets, which varied in their docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content (0.25%, 0.75%, 1.64%, 1.99% and 3.17%; dw), were manufactured to determine its effects on longfin yellowtail Seriola rivoliana larvae in terms of fish biological performance, whole body fatty acid profile and incidence of skeletal anomalies from 30 dah (11.31 ± 1.79 Total Length, TL) to 50 dah (19.80 ± 0.58 mm TL). The inclusion of dietary DHA up to 3.17% (dw) improved larval resistance to air exposure, although DHA did not significantly affect fish final growth or final survival. Indeed, high levels of dietary DHA (1.99% and 3.17%, dw) tended to increase the incidence of skeletal anomalies in S. rivoliana larvae, albeit no significant differences were observed. Furthermore, the occurrence of severe anomalies such as kyphosis and lordosis, was mainly associated to the larvae fed the highest levels of dietary DHA. In terms of survival, increasing dietary DHA levels did not significantly affect longfin yellowtail survival rate, despite a tendency for enhanced survival. The results of the present study proved that the inclusion of dietary DHA in inert diets up to a 3.17% (dw) and a DHA/EPA ratio above 3.1 increased the final survival and stress resistance in S. rivoliana larvae.