Live food enrichment for marine organisms larvae feeding: a brief review

Abstract

The high mortality that occurs in crustacean and fish larval feeding is associated, among others factors, to nutritional deficiencies, probably due to a lacking of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Several researches have found these fatty acids are essential for aquatic animals, mainly the n3-highly unsaturated fatty acid (n3-RUFA) as eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n3 - EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n3 - DHA) that seem to be required by marine crustacean and fish to increase their growth and survival of the culture yield. However, the n3-RUFA deficiency may be corrected using enrichment techniques in order to improve the nutritional quality of live preys. The enrichment techniques englobe microalgae culture media, Artemia nauplii and rotifers feeding, and are divided into: British technique; Japanese technique; French technique; and Belgian technique. The enrichment techniques also may serve as a pathway to vitamins, hormones, therapeutic agents into the predator larvae via live food. The success of the enrichment techniques depends on the knowledge about quantity and quality of larvae feeders nutritional requirements; the biochemical composition before and after the live preys enrichment; and the necessity that they have to be offered in an appropriate quantity and size to the cultured larvae.