They are what they eat - Enhancing the nutritional value of live feeds with microalgae by Eric C Henry PhD, research
scientist, Reed Mariculture Inc., USA.
Live feeds are proven to be essential
first-feed for many larval fish, essentially all those that hatch from small
eggs with limited yolk reserves and often immature feeding and digestive
functions. Live feeds provide larval fish with essential nutrients that are
naturally ‘microencapsulated’ in bite-sized packages. They include a high
proportion of easily-assimilated free amino acids and free fatty acids, as well
as digestive enzymes and beneficial bacterial microfloras in the gut contents
of the prey. The swimming activity of live prey also stimulates feeding
responses in larval fish, a vital concern because small larvae with very
limited metabolic reserves can quickly starve if they do not promptly begin
feeding actively.
The natural live foods of such larvae
are of course microplankton, both zooplankton and (although often not
appreciated) phytoplankton. Natural zooplankton assemblages are often highly
diverse and may include protozoa, rotifers, arroworms, microcrustaceans such as
copepods, and eggs and larvae of nearly every group of marine animals including
sponges, coelenterates, polychaetes, various crustaceans, mollusks,
echinoderms, and even fish. This diverse array of prey organisms supplies
multiple sources of essential nutrients. But it can be very difficult to obtain
sufficient natural plankton to supply the needs of a hatchery, and natural
plankton can introduce predators, parasites and pathogens. Hatchery-cultured
live feeds are therefore the only practical and safe feed for many larval fish.
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