Development of Artificial Diets for Marine Finfish Larvae: Problems and Prospects

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the development of artificial diets for larvae of marine finfish. The typical feeding protocol for marine finfish larvae begins with rotifers, Brachionus plicatilis followed by brine shrimp (Artemia), and then larger Artemia. Marine microalgae are also added to the larval rearing tank and weaning is the phase when live food organisms are replaced with artificial or formulated food particles. The high cost of live food production in finfish hatcheries could be minimized by cheaper production of live food organisms and earlier weaning onto formulated feeds. The potential advantages of using artificial diets to replace live food organisms include reduced feed costs, convenience and short- to medium- term food storage. The most significant advantage is the size of the food particle and diet composition which can be adjusted to suit the exact nutritional requirements of the larvae. The majority of artificial diets for finfish larvae have been presented as either microencapsulated diets or microbound diets.