Pagrus auratus larvae

Copepods have often improved larviculture of marine fish species that are not easily reared using rotifers. One such species is Glaucosoma hebraicum. G. hebraicum larvae were reared on a combined diet consisting of equal numbers of cultured copepod nauplii and rotifers and a diet of rotifers only. Growth was significantly greater in larvae fed with the combined diet. Survival was 37% in the copepodrrotifer-fed larvae compared to 5% in the rotifer-fed larvae. Two separate methods of presenting copepod nauplii to Pagrus auratus larvae were also examined. Firstly, copepods nauplii were provided as the sole diet during the first feeding phase followed by rotifers. Secondly, rotifers were supplemented with copepod nauplii for an extended period. P. auratus larvae grew faster than rotifer fed controls in both trials. Larvae fed with the supplemented diet for an extended period grew fastest. There was no significant difference in survival and swim bladder inflation in P. auratus larvae, although those treatments with copepods in their diet were consistently higher. Improved larval growth and survival in both fish species were attributed to preferential selection of copepod nauplii and their high nutritional content. q 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.