Comparison of Four Commercial Diets and Three Feeding Rates for Black Sea Bass,Centropristis striata,Fingerlings

Abstract

A new demand for live black sea bass, Centropristis striata L., is emerging in the fish markets of the northeast United States and Canada. Aquaculturists need to know suitable commercial diets and feeding rates for growing black sea bass to increase profitability. In these experiments, four commercial diets and three feeding rates were compared for juvenile black sea bass (0.8-1.3 g). The diet experiment compared growth rates for fish fed four commercial diets, Rangen Trout and Salmon Starter (R), Nelson and Son's Silver Cup Trout Crumbles (SCT), Nelson and Son's Silver Cup Salmon Crumbles (SCS), and Zeigler Salmon Starter (Z). The feeding rate experiment compared growth rates for fish fed Zeigler Salmon Starter, at 2.5%, 5.0%, and 7.5% levels (dry weight of food/wet weight of fish). At the end of the diet experiment (18 weeks), Tukey's studentized range test (? = 0.05) showed that fish fed diet Z (14.5±0.92 g) were significantly larger than fish fed diet R (11.4±0.93 g). Diets Z and R both produced significantly larger fish than diets SCS (7.3±0.85 g) and SCT (4.5±0.29 g). At the end of the feeding rate experiment (10 weeks), Duncan's multiple range test (? = 0.05) showed that fish fed a 7.5% (4.61±0.24 g) rate and a 5.0% (4.49±0.24 g) rate were not significantly different in weight. Both of these treatments produced significantly larger fish than a feeding rate of 2.5% (3.59+0.21 g).