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Feeding selectivity of the seahorse, Hippocampus kuda (Bleeker), juveniles under laboratory conditions
Fritzie T Celino,
Grace V Hilomen-Garcia,
Annabelle G C del Norte-Campos,
Corresponding Author
Fritzie T Celino
Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, Iloilo, Philippines
Correspondence: Fritzie T Celino, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, 1122 NE Boat Street, Seattle, WA, 98195-5020, USA. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorGrace V Hilomen-Garcia
Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, Iloilo, Philippines
Search for more papers by this authorAnnabelle G C del Norte-Campos
Division of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines in the Visayas, Iloilo, Philippines
Search for more papers by this authorFritzie T Celino,
Grace V Hilomen-Garcia,
Annabelle G C del Norte-Campos,
Corresponding Author
Fritzie T Celino
Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, Iloilo, Philippines
Correspondence: Fritzie T Celino, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, 1122 NE Boat Street, Seattle, WA, 98195-5020, USA. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorGrace V Hilomen-Garcia
Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, Iloilo, Philippines
Search for more papers by this authorAnnabelle G C del Norte-Campos
Division of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines in the Visayas, Iloilo, Philippines
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
This study examined the feeding selectivity of Hippocampus kuda juveniles under captive conditions and evaluates different food organisms that could be used to improve hatchery-rearing of this species. Newly born H. kuda were reared for 10 days in 60-L capacity tanks and fed rotifers (Brachionus rotundiformis), zooplankton (mostly Pseudodiaptomus annandalei and Acartia tsuensis) alone or both food sources. The size and amount of food ingested increased as seahorses grew. Selective feeding of seahorses appeared to change as they develop, preferring copepod adults over nauplii and rotifers. A. tsuensis was highly selected by juveniles over P. annandalei. Specific growth rate in terms of body weight (SGR-BW, 15% day–1) was the highest and mortality rate (9% at day 10) the lowest in seahorses fed a mixed food sources. Slowest growth rate (0.3% day–1) and highest mortality rate (60% at day 7) were observed in seahorses fed rotifers alone. These results indicate that copepods are suitable food for seahorse juveniles, but a mixture of food organisms in the rearing tank environment enhances survivorship and growth of H. kuda, thus potentially providing a source of cultured rather than wild specimens for characterizing the life history of this threatened species.
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