Feeding pike-perch fry with dry feeds

Aquaflow Technical Leaflet 2002-36

European Network for the Dissemination of Aquaculture RTD Information (Q5CA-2000-30105) and previously FAIR-3837, URL: http://www.aquaflow.org/

Pike-perch (Stizostedion lucioperca) is a high-quality fish species in inland and brackish waters of Germany and other European countries. There is a great demand on the market for this species, but the pike-perch yield in natural waters and ponds in Germany is limited. For several years, the raising of fry and juveniles has been carried out in ponds and basins. However, these culture techniques have been mainly based on the supply of natural food, e.g. zooplankton, insect larvae and small fish.

Experiments carried out at the Institute of Inland Fisheries in Potsdam-Sacrow (Brandenburg) aimed to develop methods for using commercial dry feeds during the rearing period from fry to juveniles and further to table fish.

First results exhibited that a successful weaning of pike-perch fry (initial weight about 0.7 g) from natural food to dry feeds is possible. To make a high percentage of fish accept the artificial diet it proved to be most useful to add natural food to it. The experiments showed that the majority of juvenile pike-perch could be adapted to extruded dry feeds during a transition period of about 14 days. In a series of preliminary experiments, fish were kept either in aquaria or tanks with replicates, and fed several natural foodstuffs, e.g. frozen chironomids, minced fish, krill, and others. The average growth rate varied between 4 and 5,5 % per day, the final weight of the fish being 2 to 5 g. It can be concluded, that red chironmids are the most effective and easy to handle natural foodstuff for the weaning of pike-perch fry.

In a further experiments, one summer-old, pond-raised, pike-perch juveniles (mean weight in October 28g) were weaned to dry feeds. The fish were kept in circular tanks in a recirculation system. After a transition period with mixed feeding (dry feed and chironomids) about 80 % of the juveniles accepted the artificial diet. At the end of this experiment (January of the following year), the fish had an average weight of 54g. Important preconditions for a successful weaning of pond-raised pike-perch are a good health status and condition of the fish. It is essential to control cannibalism by excluding the shooters (fast growers) from the tanks.

The results of these experiments are encouraging and offer good possibilities for further improving the culture of pike-perch fry and juveniles.

For information:

Dr. Helmut Wedekind
Institut für Binnenfischerei Potsdam-Sacrow
D-14476 Groß Glienicke, Germany
Tel.: +49 33201 4060
Fax: +49 33201 40640
E-mail: helmut.wedekind@ifb-potsdam.de)

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