Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 31
White Sturgeon (
Acipenser transmontanus
)
Optimum Feeding Rates at Weeks 6 and 10
After Initiation of Feeding
N. De Riu, S.S.O. Hung, and G. Moniello
Abstract The effects of feeding rates on growth performance and body proximate
composition of white sturgeon juveniles 6 and 10 weeks after initiation of feeding
were assessed. Two 1-week-long trials with six different feeding rates, replicated
four times, were carried out. The feeding rates were 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, and 8.0%
body weight (bw)/day (d) in the first trial and 0.8, 1.6, 2.4, 3.2, 4.0, and 4.8% bw/d
in the second trial. Sixty fishes with 2.27
0.9 g (mean
SD) initial body weight
were used in the first trial, and 25 fishes with 15.78
4.4 g initial body weight were
used in the second trial. The juveniles were kept at 18-19
C in small circular tanks
(66 cm in diameter and 27 cm in water height) containing 90 L water and 3 L/min
flow and were fed a commercial salmonid soft-moist feed using automatic feeders.
Mortality was almost zero (only one fish died in the first trial, which was unrelated
to feeding rates). Specific growth rate (SGR), feeding efficiency, and body compo-
sition were significantly (
P
0.05) affected by feeding rates. Broken-line analysis
of SGR indicated that the optimum feeding rates of white sturgeon juveniles were
6.5
<
0.4% and 3.8
0.1% bw/d for the fifth and the 10th week after initiation of
feeding.
Keywords Aquaculture • Feeding rate • White sturgeon
N. De Riu (
*
) • G. Moniello
Dipartimento di Biologia Animale, Universit` di Sassari, Sassari, Italy
e-mail:
nderiu@uniss.it
S.S.O. Hung
Department of Animal Science University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
