Effects of ICES30/4-enriched Artemia urmiana nauplii on growth, survival, salinity tolerance and fatty acid composition of Acipenser persicus larvae

Effects of Artemia urmiana enriched with ICES30/4 as a commercial emulsion of highly unsaturated fatty acid (HUFA) on growth, survival, salinity tolerance and fatty acid composition of the Persian sturgeon larvae were evaluated. Artemia enriched for two different time periods (12 and 24 hours) and non-enriched artemia were fed to A. persicus larvae (average initial wet weight 46.80± 2.03mg) during 20 days. The n3-HUFA content ranged from 0.82±0.08 mg /g DW in non-enriched artemia to 7.69±0.2 mg/g DW in enriched artemia during 24 h with ICES30/4 and ranged from 3.20±0.30 mg/g DW in sturgeon fish larvae fed with non-enriched artemia to 5.98±0.43 mg/g DW in fish larvae fed with 24 h-artemia enriched with ICES30/4 after 20 days. The n3-HUFA content significantly increased compared to 12 h enrichment period both in artemia and sturgeons fed with these artemia (p < 0.05). A significant increase in survival percentages and salinity tolerance were observed between fish larvae fed with enriched and non-enriched artemia (p < 0.05), while growth rate did not significantly differ among the treatments (p > 0.05).