Improving co‐feeding strategies for Neotropical green terror cichlid (Aequidens rivulatus) larvae with lecithin‐enriched Artemia franciscana nauplii: Effects on survival, growth performance and body composition

Abstract

The effects of feeding on a commercial diet and lecithin‐enriched (EN) Artemia franciscana nauplii for improving co‐feeding strategies of Neotropical green terror cichlid (Aequidens rivulatus) larvae were conducted. For this purpose, eight groups of fish in triplicates were assigned with two different diets (unenriched Artemia [UN] and EN Artemia) and four feeding regimes (1, 5, 10 and 25 days feeding with UN and EN diets and then a 10% daily replacement Artemia nauplii with commercial diet). The crude lipid (21.4%) and total polar lipid (12.96% of total crud lipid) levels significantly increased in enriched Artemia nauplii (p < 0.05). The highest amount of saturated fatty acids (SFA) were in enriched and UN Artemia nauplii (41.74% and 49.64% respectively) but the highest level of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) (25.69%) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (49.11%) were obtained in commercial diet. Growth performance of fish fed 10 EN and 5 EN had significantly higher values of total weight (120.67, 120.31 mg), %WG (584.48, 580.50%) and SGR (7.69, 7.67%) respectively (p < 0.05). Nevertheless, fish fed 25 EN had significantly higher FCE (190.4%), PER (3.95) and NPU (202.5), in comparison with other groups. In terms of body composition, the EN Artemia nauplii led to increased lipid contents in 25 EN, 10 EN and 5 EN treatments. In conclusion, the results of this study revealed that feeding regimes of 10 EN and 5 EN could improves survival and growth performance of Neotropical green terror cichlid, A. rivulatus larvae.