Effects of probiotic Pediococcus acidilactici on growth performance,survival rate,and stress resistance of Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus)

This study was conducted to examine the effect of Artemia urmiana nauplii enriched with Pediococcus acidilactici on growth performances, survival rate, and stress resistance of Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus). Artemia nauplii were enriched with P. acidilactici at concentration of 10¹⁰ CFU/ml for 3 h (T3), 6 h (T6), 9 h (T9), and one nonenriched nauplii treatment (control). Since nauplii enriched for 9 h had the most significant CFU/g, fish were fed with T9 for 11 days and compared with the control. To evaluate the effect of probiotic on fish resistance, Persian sturgeon larvae were subjected to osmotic shocks of 15, 25, or 35 ppt; four pH treatments, pH 5, pH 6, pH 8 or pH = 9; and air for 5, 10, 15, or 20 s on the 11th day. There were no significant differences in final weight, weight gain, CF, SGR, and FCR between T9 and control (P > 0.05). However, the survival rate of larvae fed nauplii enriched for 9 h increased significantly in comparison with the control group (P < 0.05). In addition, significant higher resistance to all stress challenges was observed in the T9 group.