Significant
increase in survival of captive-bred juvenile Banggai cardinalfish
Pterapogon kauderni with an essential fatty acid-enriched diet
A.A.
Vagelli-2004
Journal
of the World Aquaculture Society, 35(1): 61-69
(from ISI Current Contents)
Abstract:
Pteropogon kauderni is an endemic, direct developing. coral reef fish from
Indonesia, which has become very Popular in the aquarium community. During
development of a captive breeding program, high frequency of shock syndrome
events and associated mortality was observed in juveniles fed a diet of
newly hatched Artemia. After about a week post-release, juveniles became
extremely sensitive to external stimuli, Such as feeding and turning the
lights on. A series of live tests (mean duration = 116 d) were conducted to
investigate it possible dietary essential fatty acid deficiency. A
significant increase in survival (P < 0.001) and decrease in frequency of
shock syndrome events (P < 0.05) were observed in juveniles fed a highly
unsaturated fatty acid-enriched diet. Juveniles fed the un-enriched diet
Suffered a mean of 1.4 events/ individual, whereas those fed the enriched
diet had a significantly lower mean of 0.08 (P < 0.001). Mean mortality
fall tests) for juveniles fed the un-enriched diet was 80.7%, whereas it was
5.3% for those fed the enriched diet. No individual fed the enriched diet
died after suffering a shock event, whereas in four Out Of five tests
several individuals (mean = 2.26) fed the un-enriched diet died a few
Minutes after the event. No event was observed during the first week after
juvenile release; the mean days at which the first event occurred (all
tests) were 26.8 (un-enriched) and 26 (enriched), and the mean week at which
the highest frequency of shock events occurred was 4.7 (un-enriched). The
results of this study have Particular significance for conservation because
of the threatened Status of P. kauderni.
(New Jersey State Aquarium, 1 Riverside Dr., Camden
NJ 08103, USA)