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ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil 2006 63(2):275-284; doi:10.1016/j.icesjms.2005.11.017
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© 2005 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea

Growth, behaviour, and digestive enzyme activity in larval Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in relation to rotifer lipid

Kelly O'Brien-MacDonald, Joseph A. Brown{maltese cross} and Christopher C. Parrish*

Ocean Sciences Centre, Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John's, NL, Canada A1C 5S7

*Correspondence to C. C. Parrish: tel: +1 709 737 3225; fax: +1 709 737 3220. e-mail: cparrish{at}mun.ca.

Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) show great potential for aquaculture, but much is unknown about their digestive capacity and efficiency. An integrated experiment was performed on cod larvae to investigate the variability in digestive development in response to the quantity of lipid in the rotifer enrichment. Survival, growth, behaviour, and digestive enzyme data from hatching to metamorphosis [0–450 dd (degree-days)] were measured. Four treatments were used in triplicate: high lipid rotifer enrichment (HLRE), low lipid rotifer enrichment (LLRE), green water, and unfed. Swimming activity and attacks (captures + misses) on prey were higher in the HLRE group at 100 dd than in other treatments, and this difference increased thereafter. There was no difference in digestive enzyme activity between the unfed and greened treatments, while the LLRE larvae had lower activity levels than larvae fed HLRE by 100–150 dd for all enzymes assayed. The larvae in the unfed and green water treatments did not survive past 100 dd. All the LLRE cod had died by 250 dd. Results suggest that a higher quantity of lipid in the rotifer enrichment will not only promote better growth and survival in Atlantic cod larvae but appears to provide more energy, allowing larvae to capture more live prey.

Keywords: attacks, cod digestive capacity, growth, rotifer enrichment, survival, swimming activity

Received 13 June 2004; accepted 21 November 2005.

{maltese cross} Deceased 4 September 2005.


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