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Physiological and reproductive response to varying quantitative lipid inclusion in diets for Gulf killifish Fundulus grandis Baird and Girard
Author(s) -
Patterson Joshua T,
Green Christopher C
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
aquaculture research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.646
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1365-2109
pISSN - 1355-557X
DOI - 10.1111/are.12381
Subject(s) - biology , fundulus , fecundity , killifish , gonadosomatic index , broodstock , aquaculture , zoology , reproduction , sperm , fishery , ecology , botany , fish <actinopterygii> , population , sociology , demography
Abstract Successful culture of Gulf killifish Fundulus grandis as a live marine baitfish in the south‐eastern United States has experienced low fecundity as a primary restriction. Hence, the ability to optimize reproduction in captive populations may increase the potential for viable large‐scale production. Broodfish nutrition is an expanding field of aquaculture, and improved nutritional status has been shown to increase reproductive output in some cultured fish. This study examined changes in quantitative inclusion of lipid as fish oil in complete diets fed to actively spawning Gulf killifish and its effects on physiological and reproductive parameters and subsequent larval morphometrics. An increase in dietary lipid levels across a gradient from 4.0 to 13.8% did not affect periodic fecundity, egg size, embryo viability rate, sperm motility, hepatosomatic index or liver total lipid content. Intraperitoneal fat increased significantly in fish fed higher lipid levels, while gonadosomatic index was significantly higher in the lowest lipid content group. Larvae produced by fish fed higher lipid levels had significantly increased endogenous nutritional resources at hatch while standard length was unaffected. No strong reproductive benefits of increased lipid inclusion were found in Gulf killifish.