Thf Progressive Fish-Ctiliurist 58:173-177. 1996 American Fisheries Society 1996 COMMUNICATIONS Feeding Trials with Juvenile Atlantic Sturgeons Propagated

Abstract.—Juvenile Atlantic sturgeons Acipenser ox-yrinchus produced by hormone-induced spawning of wild broodstock from the Hudson River, New York, were used in a diet study. Fish fed live Anemia sp. as first-feeding fry for 35 d were observed to convert readily to formulated diets. At 79 d posthatch, four formulated feeds were offered: sturgeon starter 9304, Biokyowa, Zeigler esocid diet, and Tunison sturgeon starter. At the end of 60 d, fish fed Biokyowa had the greatest growth and best feed conversion (P ^ 0.05). Feed conversions were significantly different between all treatments, in-dicating wide variability in growth response to the diets tested. Proximate analyses of diets showed Biokyowa highest in protein (59.43%) and dry matter (97.28%). Declining numbers of Atlantic sturgeons Aci-penser oxyrinchus have sparked an increased in-terest in the biology of this species. Overexploi-tation has generally been considered the cause of the decline, but other factors have interfered with recovery of the stock from low levels (Dovel and Berggren 1983). A management plan has been for-mulated by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), Washington, D.C., which seeks to restore Atlantic sturgeon commercial fish-ery landings to 10 % of the 3.2 million kg recorded in 1890. Management objectives of the ASMFC include aquaculture research to evaluate the po-tential for stock restoration or enhancement through the release of cultured fish. Therefore, knowledge of culture techniques, including the identification of effective diets for rearing juvenil