Feeding HUFA and vitamin C enriched freshwater rotifer, Brachionus calyciflorus to Anabas testudineus (Bloch, 1792) larvae: Effect on growth and survival

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the suitability of freshwater rotifer ( Brachionus calyciflorus ) enriched with highly unsaturated fatty acid (HUFA) and/or vitamin C as starter food and its effect on survival and growth of Anabas testudineus larvae. A total of one thousand two hundred Anabas testudineus larvae (100 larvae per tank) were randomly assigned to twelve glass aquarium tanks with a 15 L capacity to create four experimental groups in triplicate. Rotifers were enriched for 12 h with a nutrient supplement prior to feeding to the larvae to improve their nutritional quality. Rotifers treated with HUFA (D 1 ), Vitamin C (D 2 ), and HUFA+Vitamin C (D 3 ) were subsequently fed to the larvae for thirty days. At the termination of the experiment, weight gain was highest in the rotifer fed with HUFA (303.2 ± 17.6 mg) and lowest in the control (203.2 ± 3.3 mg). Similarly, the HUFA-enriched rotifer-fed larval group had the highest survival rate (44.3 ± 3.5) whereas the control group had the lowest survival rate (16.7 ± 0.7%) up until the fifteenth day. The survival rate in these groups decreased to 33.3 ± 2.3% and 12.7 ± 0.9%, respectively, by the 30th day, demonstrating the necessity for larger live food to meet the increasing larvae's energy requirements. Hence, results clearly showed that rotifer enrichment with HUFA could improve both growth and survival of the larvae of A. testudineus especially during initial period.