Survival and growth of larval striped bass (Morone saxatilis) fed Artemia enriched with highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA)

The nutritional value of Artemia nauplii from the Great Salt Lake was effectively improved for larval striped bass (Morone saxatilis) by incorporation of unsaturated fatty acids (20: 5n-3 and 22: 6n-3) into the nauplii by the direct method of enrichment. Survival at 24 days post-hatch increased from 23% to 64% when fish were fed nauplii containing 8.24% lipid as 20: 5n-3 and 3.10% as 22: 6n-3 fatty acids. Growth of the larval fish was significantly improved by a diet of fatty acid enriched nauplii. Fatty acid composition of the larvae reflected the composition of the fed nauplii. Results suggested a requirement by larval striped bass for long-chain highly unsaturated fatty acids and an inability, at this stage of development, to elongate and desaturate the shorter chain fatty acids in sufficient amounts to meet this requirement.