Influence of temperature and<i>Artemia</i>enriched with ω-3 PUFAs on the early ontogenesis of Atlantic sturgeon,<i>Acipenser oxyrinchus</i>Mitchill, 1815

Abstract

Successful breeding of fish species in aquaculture depends on several factors, among which the temperature and feed are the most significant ones. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of temperature in the range of 14–18°C on the rate of embryogenesis and duration of larva period and to estimate the efficiency of Artemia nauplii enriched with PUFAs in growing sturgeon larvae. The temperature of 16°C is the most suitable for both egg incubation and Atlantic sturgeon prelarvae maintenance under aquaculture conditions. Even minor temperature fluctuations of 1 degree up or down leads to increased loss both of eggs and prelarvae. Increased temperature shortens the incubation period but has a lesser impact on the duration of prelarvae onset of external feeding. The technology of Artemia nauplii bioencapsulation with a PUFA-containing supplement in A. oxyrinchus rearing increases sturgeon larvae weight by 1.5 times at a constant survival dynamic.