Growth and Feeding Level in Pre-Weaning Tambaqui Colossoma macropomurn Larvae

The relation between growth, feed utilization and feed ration was assessed during the first 15 feeding days in Colossoma macropomum larvae fed with Artemia nauplii. Maintenance, optimum and maximum feeding rations (1.23; 5.48 and 27.2% body weight/d, dry feed, respectively) and feed conversions (0.4 and 0.78 optimum and maximum, respectively) were determined. At maximum feeding the larvae grew 2.6 times faster that at optimum feeding, but the feeding costs increased 1.94 times. Two commonly used growth rates (specific growth rate, SGR and coefficient G) were compared for the modelling of larval growth. The maximum specific growth rate (SGR, growth rate at maximum feeding) remained relatively constant during the first 15 d of feeding and is thus much more adequate to model the growth of tambaqui larvae, than the coefficient G, which increased more than four times in this period.