Heath, P.L., Moore, C.G.-1997
Aquaculture International, 5 (1) : 29-39
Abstract:
The suitability of the harpacticoid copepod Tisbe holothuriae as a diet for larval and juvenile Dover sole (Solea solea) was assessed by rearing groups of sole for 42 days under a range of dietary regimes. Larval sole, approximately 1 week old, were reared on Tisbe, Artemia, or a mixed Tisbe-Artemia diet for 13 days. No significant differences in length between sole larvae from any diet were found after this time, but larvae offered Artemia alone showed a significantly higher frequency of malpigmentation than those offered the other diets. After metamorphosis (day 16), survivors of this experiment were reared for a further 29 days on various diets to give the following dietary sequences: Tisbe fed larvae, fed on Artemia as juveniles (Tis. Art.); Artemia fed larvae, fed on Artemia as juveniles (Art. Art.); Artemia fed larvae, fed on Tisbe as juveniles (Art. Tis.) and mixed diet fed larvae, fed on a mixed diet as juveniles (AT AT). At the end of this period AT AT and Tis. Art. fed juveniles were significantly larger than those on the Art. Art. dietary regime. Juveniles from the Tis. Art. dietary regime consumed more prey items than the Art. Art group. AT AT juveniles consumed similar amounts of food to Art. Art. juveniles but were significantly larger after 29 days culture. This was attributed to the presence of Tisbe in their diet. Overall, the best larval and juvenile diet appeared to be a mixed diet throughout the culture period.
(Ctr Marine Resources & Mariculture, Marine Stn, Portaferry BT22 1PF CO Down Northern Ireland)
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