Effect of Food Enrichment on the Survival of Hippocampus Ingens Girard, 1858 Alevine under Semicontroled Conditions

Due to the decline in seahorse populations generated by exploitation and degradation of their habitat, an attempt has been made to obtain the closed cycle of cultivation of different species of the genus, includingH. ingens, the unique specie located in the Eastern Pacific. In the majority of the studies carried out, the mainlimitation has been the provision of a diet that supplies an adequate growth and survival of the organisms. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of nutritional enrichment of Brachionus plicatilis and Artemiafranciscana, used as food in the survival of H. ingens. Fifteen specimens of wild adult seahorses were capturedin Bahía de La Paz, and generated four couples and 17 successful batches. To assess the enrichment from thethird to the seventh day, each batch was divided into six groups and placed in 60-liter aquaria, feeding on rotifersmaintained with six different treatments. Three Artemia franciscana nauplii enrichment treatments were thentested to evaluate the effect on the survival of the juveniles in the period from day eight to day 60. From day 61and on seahorses were fed with adult Artemia franciscana also enriched with the three different treatments. Theseresults show that the enrichment of the food offered in the first months of life of seahorses has a significant effecton their survival.