Growth, Survival, and Whole‐body Proximate and Fatty Acid Composition of Haddock, Melanogrammus aeglefinus L., Postlarvae Fed a Practical Microparticulate Weaning Diet

Further development of high‐quality feeds for hatchery‐reared haddock in the North Atlantic would benefit from a standard formulation that can be used as a reference for hatcheries and laboratory studies. A practical microparticulate diet (PMD) developed and evaluated with newly metamorphosed juvenile haddock, Melanogrammus aeglefinus L., postlarvae is proposed. Survival of fish fed PMD was just as high (88–89%; P > 0.05) as those fed a high‐quality imported feed (Biokyowa). Alternatively, fish fed PMD had higher ( P < 0.05) final fork lengths (39.5 vs. 35.1 mm), wet weights (851.3 vs. 580.2 mg) and weight gains (1637.2 vs. 1115.7%). No differences ( P > 0.05) in whole‐body moisture (846–857 g/kg), ash (17–18 g/kg), or protein (101 g/kg) contents were found. Lipid content of fish fed PMD (26 g/kg) was higher ( P < 0.05) than those fed Biokyowa (21 g/kg) despite PMD containing 15 g/kg lower dietary lipid, suggesting higher intake and/or lipid retention. The PMD formulation proved to be a highly suitable weaning diet for haddock postlarvae based on high feed acceptance, survival, and fish growth. Given the economic and logistical difficulties associated with importing commercial weaning feeds, this easily produced practical weaning diet has good potential for use by laboratory researchers and farm managers for hatchery‐based nutrition research with haddock postlarvae.