Effects of feeding Artemia franciscana enriched with HUFA, vitamins C and E on growth performance, survival and stress resistance of cuttlefish (Sepia pharaonis) (Ehrenberg, ۱۸۳۱)

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of using Artemia franciscana enriched with cod liver oil and vitamins C and E on the growth, survival and stress resistance of juvenile Sepia pharaonis (Pharaoh cuttlefish). Twenty-five days after hatching, the larvae of S. pharaonis were transferred into culture tanks with an average length of ۱۵.۹۷±۰.۱۵ mm and average body weight of ۳.۵۳±۰.۰۳ g, in eleven treatments (with ۳ replicates). The treatments included: highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) +۵, ۱۰ and ۱۵% vitamin E-enriched Artemia (E۱, E۲ and E۳ groups, respectively), HUFA+۵, ۱۰ and ۱۵% vitamin C-enriched Artemia (C۱, C۲ and C۳ groups, respectively), HUFA+۲.۵% (w/w) vitamins C- and E-enriched Artemia (CE۱ group), HUFA+۵% (w/w) vitamins C- and E-enriched Artemia (CE۲ group), HUFA+۷.۵% (w/w) vitamins C- and E-enriched Artemia (CE۳ group), HUFA without vitamins (HUFA group) and non-enriched Artemia (control). For each replicate, ۲۰ larvae were introduced into tanks of ۲۰ L, and ۱۰ Artemia L-۱ day-۱ were used to feed the larvae. At the end of the experiment, to investigate stress resistance, three groups of larvae were submitted to one hour stress at three levels of salinity (۵, ۱۵ and ۲۵ ppt), and temperature (۱۰, ۲۵ and ۳۲ °C). The results showed that cuttlefish fed with CE۱, CE۲, CE۳ and larvae fed with HUFA without vitamins were significantly different (p<۰.۰۵) with regards to growth performance and survival as compared with the control. Feeding with vitamin C and unsaturated fatty acid elevated the survival and growth factors of S. pharaonis larvae. Also, the survival of larvae against induced stress increased (p<۰.۰۵).

Keywords:

Artemia franciscana , Growth performance , Stress resistance , Sepia pharaonis , Survival , Vitamins C and E.