EFFECT OF THE FOOD WEB ON PIGMENTATION AND OSSIFICATION OF THE BLACK SEA TURBOT, PSETTA MAEOTICA (PALLAS) PRIOR AND DURING METAMORPHOSIS

摘要

The Black Sea turbot (BST), Psetta maeotica Pallas, is a common high-value endemic flatfish in the Black Sea countries, con-generic species to the Atlantic turbot. Intensive technology for production of the high quality BST juveniles resembling theirwild counterparts, developed in IBSS NASU (Ukraine), is ready for the use in commercial hatcheries. Abnormalities in pigmentation and ossification of the reared (after IBSS technology) BST juveniles are observed rarely, but they still remain the problemin the hatchery reared flatfish and even in those caught in natural environment. The objective of this study was to find out which pigmentation and ossification patterns could be affected during development of the BST fed experimental food webs consistedfrom the same microalgae but different zooplankton prey: brackish-water (typical for hatcheries) versus marine zooplankton (typical for natural environment).