Aquaculture America 2020

February 9 - 12, 2020

Honolulu, Hawaii

NUTRIENT REQUIREMENTS: AN OVERVIEW ON MARINE FISH NUTRITION IN THE AMERICAS

Jorge Suarez and Daniel Benetti.
 
University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, Florida 33149, U.S.A.
Email: jsuarez@rsmas.miami.edu
 

Reliable technologies in broodstock spawning  fingerling production , nursery and growout cobia (Rachycentron canadum ), pompanos (Trachinotus carolinus), jacks (Seriola spp ) and snappers (Lutjanus spp), among others have been successfully established in recent years in the Americas. As with the development of any new industry, there are serious hurdles to overcome before commercial viability can be secured. Development of optimal feeds for the new target spe cies is at the top of the list of problems to resolve. A lack of knowledge about the nutritional requirements and digestibility of nutrient ingredients at the various life stages of most commercially important tropical and subtropical high-value marine fish species being cultured has been identified as the major problem to be addressed and solved. Currently, economic feed conversion rates remain extremely high, ranging from 2.0-4.0. The problem is aggravated at larger sizes, when the fish reach maturation and growth and survival rates decrease remarkably. Researchers and the industry are tackling these major issues by focusing on identifying the nutritional requirements at different life stages of each species targeted, aiming at formulating and manufacturing economically viable and ecologically efficient aquafeeds. In this paper, we'll summarize the current status of nutrient requirements of tropical species of marine fish in the Americas and the Caribbean regions, focusing on cobia (Rachycentron canadum), jacks (Seriola spp) and snappers (Lutjanus spp ).