An Alternative Live Food for Fish Larvae; Vinegar Eels (Turbatrix aceti) Enriched with Bacterial Protein

Abstract

Especially at commercial rearing of marine and ornamental fish species, the achievement of early stage feeding operations is very significant for reducing larval loses. For this reason, it is necessary to produce and use of live food organisms that appropriate for first mouth gap sizes of fish larvae. Widely used in this regard rotifer (Brachionus plicatilis) has got uneasy culture procedures, so evaluating alternative live food organisms is very important. In this study, we have assessed the feasibility of vinegar eels in early stage feeding of altricial fish larvae. Zebra fish (Danio rerio) have got smaller mouth gap size than other fish species have been used in feeding trials and acceptabilities of vinegar eels by larvae was evaluated. And also, an increase in protein contents of vinegar eel evaluated using bacterial proteins (Lactococcus garvieae).