The effect of enriched cyclopoid copepods on the coloration and feeding rate of Betta splendens

Abstract

Copepods with a wide range of sizes, species, and nutritional compositions are preferred as live food for rearing of Betta splendens larvae. This research focuses on evaluating the efficiency of copepod enrichment diets in improving the coloration and feeding rate of B. splendens. Copepod were enriched with Chlorella sp. (T1), capsicum (T2), mixed vegetable (carrot + spinach), (T3), yeast (T4) and rice bran (T5) in 24 hours prior the feeding tests. As a result, proximate analysis of enriched-copepods showed that T1 (70.88±0.41) has highest protein content and T5 (22.01±0.59) has the highest lipid content. The specific growth rate and survival rate of B. splendens was highest in the treatment T1 (2.56±0.07%; 91.11±1.92%) and followed closely by T3 (2.49±0.51%; 85.55±8.39%). Feeding rate, T3 (70.08±3.88%) presented highest rate compared to other treatments. The different enrichment diets used were significantly impact the coloration test on body of L* value (P=0.001, P<0.05), T3 (66.11±3.60) appeared darker in color in contrast to others. As for a* value, the coloration was not impacted with the use of different enrichment on copepods (P=0.158, P>0.05) was detected for T1 (2.84±0.73) that gave a redder shade than other treatments did. T3 (2.40±0.30) exerted a more yellowish shade than the rest for b* value with a significant difference (P=0.015, P<0.05). The current study demonstrates that, rice bran, capsicum and mixed vegetable enrichment (carrot and spinach) have the potential to be an effective means of increasing B. splendens coloring and feeding rate. This potential diet can be further used as a substitution to artificial foods in producing sustainable culture of ornamental fish in the aquaculture industry.