The effects of every-other-day feeding on the growth performance of yearling stellate sturgeon, Acipenser stellatus

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a skip-a-day feeding regime on the growth of one-year-old sturgeon, Acipenser stellatus. Sturgeons possess a spiral valve intestine, which slows down the passage of food to longer than 24 hours, providing a scientific justification for the experiment. The experiment had a duration of 12 weeks and consisted of two treatments groups with four replicates each. One group of sturgeons (n = 120) was offered feed every day, on a continuous basis, at 2% of their body weight daily; while a second group of sturgeons (n = 120) were fed every other day, also at 2% of their body weight daily. The sturgeons had an average initial body weight of 178 ± 32 g and measured 44.6 ± 2.9 cm in total length. At the end of the experimental period, all sturgeons were alive, in good health, and no statistically significant differences (P > 0.05) on growth performance indices were detected between sturgeons fed every day and every other day. The average weights and lengths of sturgeons at the end of the trial were 406 ± 96 g and 55.4 ± 4.4 cm. The results of this study suggest that yearling sturgeon may be fed every other day rather than daily. A skip-a-day feeding regime can result in feed savings for a commercial operation, help protect the natural resources such as those for making fish meal, and lessen the impact of excess nutrients in natural bodies of water.