CO-FEEDING MARINE FISH LARVAE WITH INERT AND LIVE DIETS

Combining live feed and manufactured diets (co-feeding) from an early developmental stage has been shown to improve growth and survival of m arine fish larvae compared to the use of live feed only. Go-feeding se ems to serve two purposes; it improves and stabilizes the nutritional condition of the larvae and it pre-conditions the larvae to accept the manufactured diet when live feed is withdrawn, resulting in a shorter weaning period. Factors affecting the ingestion and utilization of ma nufactured diets, and the importance of relating the time when fish ca n utilize manufactured diets to larval developmental stage rather than to age, are discussed. Results of co-feeding trials in a number of co mmercially important species, seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax), gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) and Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus), under practical hatchery conditio ns are described. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.