Use of fluorescent microspheres to identify larval live food preferences of yellow domino damselfish (Dascyllus auripinnis), spinecheek clownfish (Amphiprion biaculeatus) and pigfish (Orthopristis chrysoptera)

Successful aquaculture of marine fish is reliant on feeding live food organisms to small larvae while maximizing survival. Currently most larvae are fed live rotifers and Artemia nauplii, and occasionally copepod nauplii. Larvae consume various zooplankton in the wild, including copepod nauplii, ciliates, and less commonly rotifers in their initial feeding stage. Research was conducted to define the dietary preferences of early larval stages of each fish species to improve aquaculture. This study used fluorescent microspheres to mark various prey organisms and then feed them to larvae. A fluorescent microscope was used to identify prey consumed by yellow domino damsel (Dascyllus auripinnis) larvae at 1 and 3 days post hatch (dph), spinecheek clownfish (Amphiprion biaculeatus) larvae at 0 dph, and pigfish (Orthopristis chrysoptera) larvae at 3 dph. Rotifers (Brachionus rotundiformis) were the least preferred by all fish species. Copepod nauplii (Parvocalanus crassirostris) were favored by yellow domino damsel larvae at 3 dph, spinecheek clownfish larvae at 0 dph and pigfish larvae at 3 dph, confirming their importance as a primary feed organism. Ciliates (Euplotes sp.), a novel live food organism not commonly used in aquaculture, were preferred by yellow domino damsel larvae at 1 dph and 3 dph and spinecheek clownfish larvae at 0 dph, highlighting their potential as a valuable prey organism especially for larvae that cannot consume larger prey due to their small mouth gape. Variations in prey preferences by species at different developmental stages highlights the need for further research to investigate feeding novel prey organisms to enhance larval culture methods.