Influence of the size and form of Artemia sp. nauplii on the growth and survival of Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus Mitchill) larvae

The aim of the study was to determine the influence of the size and form of Artemia sp. feed on the rearing indices of Atlantic sturgeon larvae. In the experiment, the nauplius sizes used were 480 µm (group AD), 430 µm (group AM), and 430 µm frozen nauplii (group AI). After three weeks of rearing, the sturgeon from group AD had the highest mean body weight of 0.131 g that was statistically significantly different from groups AM (0.071 g) and AI (0.033 g). The longest total length was noted in group AD (2.8 cm) and was statistically different from the others (P ≤ 0.05). Specific growth rate in groups AD and AM was 14.7 and 11.8% d⁻¹, respectively, and these values differed statistically from those in group AI at 7.8% d⁻¹. The highest survival rate was recorded in group AD at 60.6%, while the lowest was noted in group AI at 15.6%, and the differences between these two groups were statistically significant. The results of the experiment indicated that a feed of live 480 µm Artemia sp. nauplius significantly accelerated the growth rates and increased the survival rates of Atlantic sturgeon larvae.