Open AccessA Qualitative and Quantitative Approach to Determine the Optimum Combination of Feeding Stimulants for Striped Bass Morone saxatilis Using an Agar Gel Carrier
Author(s) -
Papatryphon Elias,
Soares Joseph H.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of the world aquaculture society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.655
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1749-7345
pISSN - 0893-8849
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-7345.2002.tb00474.x
Subject(s) - morone saxatilis , biology , bass (fish) , factorial experiment , agar , morone , zoology , palatability , food science , fishery , mathematics , statistics , genetics , bacteria
A series of experiments was conducted to determine the optimum combination of previously identified feeding stimulants (FS), namely L‐alanine (Ala), L‐serine (Ser), inosine‐5′‐monophosphate (IMP), and betaine (Bet), for striped bass Morone saxatilis . Three experiments were conducted to determine the optimum combination of FS using an agar gel matrix as a carrier. In the first experiment a 2 4 factorial experiment was conducted to test all possible combinations of the four FS at two levels, 0 and 0.1 M. Significant interactions between the FS were found, suggesting the complexity of gustatory stimulation and palatability. In the second experiment a 4 × 6 factorial design was employed to test each FS alone and at concentrations ranging from 0 to 8% in order to determine the minimum level at which maximal stimulation is achieved. The results suggest that there is no significant improvement in feed intake beyond the 1 % level of supplementation for all the FS. In addition, Ala produced a significantly greater response compared to all other FS. In the last experiment, a modified single factor method was used to estimate the optimum levels for each FS in a mixture. The range of the concentrations tested was 0–1% of the agar gel for each FS. Combining all four compounds yielded maximal stimulation. The levels of each compound in the final optimum combination of FS were: Ala, 0.4; Ser, 0.6; Bet, 0.4; and IMP, 0.3% of the agar gel.