AN ALTERNATIVE LIFE-HISTORY APPROACH TO THE NUTRITION AND FEEDING OF SILUROIDEI LARVAE AND EARLY JUVENILES

Successful commercial production of most cultured fish species has bee n facilitated by the intensification of larval rearing techniques. Sil uroidei species are no exception and early attempts at larval rearing in ponds were soon superseded by intensive hatchery production, at lea st for those species that are farmed on a commercial scale. The review focuses on alternative life history strategies and how these may prov ide clues to the early nutrition and feeding of siluroid fishes, as we ll as on the development and efficacy of practical feeds and feed appl ication. The paper highlights several commonalities in terms of the nu tritional and feeding requirements of the larvae of the various specie s cultured on a commercial and subsistence basis. The requirement for live feed for some species appears to be of short duration and all spe cies can be successfully weaned onto dry feed at a relatively early st age, This is considered to be one of the reasons why the intensificati on of larval rearing of Siluroidei fishes has, in general been highly successful. The review also comments on the live food/dry food debate and clearly reveals that our knowledge of Siluroidei larval nutrition and feeding is sorely lacking for many species, in comparison to other groups of fish. this emphasises the need for a concerted fundamental research effort.