Feeding Trials with Hatchery-Produced Gulf of Mexico Sturgeon Larvae

Abstract Survival and growth in larval Gulf of Mexico sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi fed live and formulated diets were evaluated. Live foods consisted of brine shrimp Artemia sp. and California blackworms Lumbriculus variegatus. Formulated diets consisted of commercially produced pellets and two experimentally formulated sturgeon starter diets (SS). Feeds were first offered at 5 d posthatch, 2 d before initiation of exogenous feeding. Significant differences (P 95%) and specific growth rate (12%; SGR, logarithmic growth per unit time). In contrast, commercially formulated feeds were poorly accepted at the onset of feeding, and their use resulted in nearly complete mortality (>99%) by 3 weeks. First-feeding larvae, however, displayed preference for an experimentally formulated sturgeon ...