Influence of Stocking Density on Growth and Physiological Responses of Beluga, Huso huso (Brandt, 1869), and Ship Sturgeon, Acipenser nudiventris (Lovetsky, 1828), Juveniles in a Flow‐through System

• Published in: Journal of the World Aquaculture Society
• Main Authors: Feshalami, Mohammad Yooneszadeh, Amiri, Farokh, Nikpey, Mansour, Mortazavizadeh, Seyed Abdolsaheb, Gisbert, Enric, Mozanzadeh, Mansour Torfi
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2016
• Subjects: Agronomy and Crop Science; Aquatic Science; Beluga; Beluga*
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jwas.12376; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fjwas.12376; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jwas.12376

Abstract The influence of three different initial stocking densities (low stocking density [ LSD ] = 1.5 kg/m 2 medium stocking density [ MSD ] = 3 kg/m 2 and high stocking density [ HSD ] = 6 kg/m 2 ) in flow‐through systems was evaluated on growth and welfare in beluga, Huso huso, and ship sturgeon, Acipenser nudiventris, juveniles for 2 mo. Fish were kept in 18 concrete square tanks (2.0 × 1.0 × 1.2 m 3 ) at 22.3 ± 0.4 C and under a natural photoperiod. In both species, the growth performance in terms of final body weight, weight gain, specific growth rate, and feed intake significantly decreased with increasing stocking density ( P < 0.05). In both species, the percent of neutrophils increased after 60 d of trial ( P < 0.05). Moreover, hematocrit and white blood cell counts increased after 60 d of trial in ship sturgeon ( P < 0.05). Plasma immunoglobulin significantly decreased with increasing stocking density in both species. Plasma insulin‐like growth factor I decreased with increasing stocking density in beluga; however, it was not affected in ship sturgeon. Overall, these results showed that the LSD group in both species demonstrated more homogeneous and higher growth rate than the MSD and HSD groups.