EFFECT OF DHA, EPA AND ARA ENRICHED LIVE FEED ON GROWTH AND SURVIVAL IN EARLY LIFE STAGES OF Etroplus suratensis (BLOCH, 1790)
The role of dietary ratios of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n - 3), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n - 3) and arachidonic acid (ARA, 20,4n -
6) on early growth and survival of pearl spot larvae was studied. Rotifers were enriched with lipid emulsion containing nine different percentage of PUFA (DHA - 5%, 10%, 15%, of total fatty acids, EPA - 5%, 10%, 15%, of total fatty acids, ARA - 5%, 10%, 15% of total fatty acids). And control emulsion containing only olive oil (no DHA, EPA and ARA). Larvae were fed differently enriched rotifers thrice a day. At the end of 15 days of feeding the larvae fed with 10% DHA inclusion diet were significantly shows higher weight gain (20.5ab±0.50mg), followed by 5%EPA inclusion (20.3ab±0.33 mg) and 5%ARA inclusion(20.1ab±0.16 mg). The maximum survival rate (100a±0.00%) was obtained in treatments T2 (10% DHA), T4 (5% EPA) and T7 (5% ARA). Hence the present study could draw a conclusion that the inclusion level of (10%) DHA, (5%) EPA, (5%) ARA was optimum for pearl spot. The (10%) DHA, (5%) EPA, (5%) ARA inclusion level was chosen to achieve the better growth and survival showed a highly significant difference among the treatments (p<0.05).