Improved survival and growth of silver therapon Leiopotherapon plumbeus early juveniles through co‐feeding with Artemia and commercial feeds

Abstract

The supply of live food organisms is important during the rearing of early larval stages of fish (Nhu et al., 2010). However, formulated artificial diets may replace live food organisms as different larval stages have specific dietary nutrient requirements (Flüchter, 1982).Live feeds often lack certain critical nutrients required by growing larvae that may result in nutritional deficiencies and consequently, larval mortalities (Hamza et al., 2007). In addition, continuously feeding the larvae with live food prey may incur high production cost (Person Le Ruyet et al., 1993). A decrease in the heavy reliance on live food production through replacement with formulated artificial diet is therefore of economic interest in culture production (Kolkovski, 2001).