EFFECTS OF ESSENTIAL FATTY ACID LEVELS IN BROODSTOCK DIETS ON SPAWNING PERFORMANCE, EGG QUALITY AND EGG FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF COBIA (RACHYCENTRON CANADUM)

摘要

Cobia Rachycentron canadum is an emerging species for marine aquaculture and its farming has increased in a number of Asian countries during the last decade. More recently, cobia research and farming have been initiated in the Americas, the Caribbeanand the EU (Benetti et al.,2007; Holt et al., 2007). With increasing commercial cobia farming, the demand for higher quantities of good quality seed have accelerated. It is generally recognised that improving composition of the broodstock diets, especially regarding essential fatty acids (docosahexaenoic acid-DHA, eicosapentaenoic acid- EPA, and arachidonic acid- ARA), improves egg and larval quality in finfish. Cobia broodstock are currently fed with raw fish of variable quality and no information on relation of broodstock diet and egg quality is presently available, which is prerequisite for development of formulated feed for broodstock of this species. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of dietary essential fatty acids on spawning performance, egg quality and egg fatty acid composition of cobia.