Larviva standardization

Offentlig prosjektsammendrag

Fish larvae are among the smallest free-living forms of vertebrates and exhibit fascinating growth potential. In fish aquaculture, the larval phase has traditionally been considered the most sensitive period. The vulnerability at this stage has been a powerful driving force for fundamental and applied research. The development of basic larvae culture procedure based on feeding with live feed, such as rotifers and Artemia abound 1980s allowed a constant supply of fry to support the increasing fish farming production. Research on fish larvae biology has continued and our basic knowledge and rearing methodologies has improved. However, there are still large knowledge gaps and the rearing process is far from optimal. The improved development of fry production is essentially affected by the efficiency of first feeding regimes and the high nutritional quality of early weaning diets. The amount of live feed and the type of live feed could potentially affect larvae growth performance and survival rate. Hatcheries in East Med are using green water and rotifers at start feeding, while customers in West Med use Artemia directly. It is important for us to document the effect of different feeding protocols on larvae performance then we can give a guideline for using our product. Therefore, this particular study is trying to determine the optimal feeding protols, specifically for sea bass, fish species with an important commercial value in aquaculture industry in Mediterranean countries like Spain, Greece, Turkey, etc. Specifically, the study will generate important information about feeding protocols and how these are affecting the fish welfare and growth.