Growth, Survival, and Body Composition of Juvenile Atlantic Sturgeon Fed Five Commercial Diets under Hatchery Conditions

Abstract

AbstractGrowth and survival were evaluated for 1 year in juvenile Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus (mean weight, 164.9 g) held at seasonal temperatures (6.4–16.9°C) and fed five commercially available feeds: Biokyowa (BK; control), Zeigler sturgeon (ZSD), Integral sturgeon (ISD), Atlantic salmon (ASD2–30), and Government Ration trout diet (GR7–30). During the 365‐d study, the overall growth performance of the juvenile Atlantic sturgeon fed ZSD, ASD2–30, and ISD was equal to that of the fish fed the BK diet and superior to that of the fish fed GR7–30 (P < 0.05). The final mean weight was highest for the fish fed ZSD and lowest for the fish fed GR7–30. The fish fed the ZSD and BK diets were the only groups to continue gaining weight in winter (6.4–9.7°C). The differences in growth may be related to dietary levels or ingredient quality. Body moisture, body protein, and body fat were affected by diet type and seasonal temperature. Among the diets tested, ZSD and ASD2–30 produced the greatest growth at the lowest cost in juvenile Atlantic sturgeon held at ambient seasonal temperatures.