Effect of Feeding Frequency on Growth, Food Conversion Efficiency, and Meal Size of Juvenile Atlantic Sturgeon and Shortnose Sturgeon

Abstract

We examined the importance of feeding frequency on the growth, conversion efficiency, and meal size of juvenile Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus and shortnose sturgeon A. brevirostrum. Trials by species were completed consecutively after the fish reached 8 months of age. For both trials, 12 tanks were each stocked with five fish. The feed ration was set at 3% of the tank biomass per day and was adjusted weekly according to increases in tank total biomass. Tanks were randomly chosen to be fed one, four, or eight times during each 24-h period. We found differences in specific growth rate (SGR), corrected food conversion efficiencies (CFCE), and meal size among species. Overall, Atlantic sturgeon grew better, ate more, and exhibited greater feeding efficiencies than shortnose sturgeon, regardless of feeding frequency. Atlantic sturgeon exhibited SGRs of 2.3%/d and conversion efficiencies of 100%. Shortnose sturgeon exhibited growth rates of 0.7–1.6%/d and conversion efficiencies of 42–93%. Only shortnose sturgeon fed four times per day (SGR, 1.6%/d; CFCE, 93%) exhibited results similar to those of Atlantic sturgeon. Atlantic sturgeon had similar growth and feeding efficiencies in all feeding frequency regimes. Shortnose sturgeon fed once per day had significantly lower growth rates (0.7%/d) and feeding efficiencies (42%) than those fed four and eight times per day.