INTRODUCTION OF ROTIFERS Brachionus plicatilis DURING PIKEPERCH Sander lucioperca FIRST FEEDING

One of the bottlenecks in pikeperch culture remains the low effectiveness and high costs of rearing larval pike-perch in RAS. Improving larval rearing methods for pikeperch is a key issue. Current first feeding protocols are based on the use of artemia. In order to optimize larval survival, growth and fitness of pikeperch during the first feeding, rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis) were used as the first live food.

Significant differences between treatments were found in length, body weight, survival, feed consumption, fatty acid composition, and RNA/DNA ratio. Pikeperch larvae (Sander lucioperca) were reared under three different diets (artemia nauplii (A), artemia nauplii /rotifers (B), and rotifers (C)), during the first 17 days post hatch (dph). Final performance parameters in total length, myomere height (MH), body weight, eye diameter, stomach fullness, survival, fatty acid composition, and RNA/DNA ratio were measured and compared among treatments.

In terms of growth (length, body weight, and myomere height) and stomach fullness, the larvae from treatment B excelled over the other two treatments. Survival and key fatty acids such as docosahexaeonic acid (DHA) were higher in treatment C.

Results suggest that the most favorable diet during larval pikeperch first feeding is a mixed diet (rotifers/artemia). This feeding method can significantly increase efficiency of pikeperch larval culture on a commercial scale.  Yet, more accurate weaning protocols of this diet during the first 12 - 17 dph need to be developed to further improve larval performance.