Choosing an Appropriate Live Feed for Larviculture of Marine Fish 1

Expanding production methods of marine fish is critical to the advancement of the food, bait, and ornamental aquacul-ture industries. Currently, only a limited number of marine fish species are being produced and with variable success. The major impediment to commercial production of currently grown species and success with candidate species is the utilization of an appropriate live feed during the first feeding phase of the larval cycle. This period is extremely crucial for the optimal development of marine fish larvae. A live feed with the proper nutritional composition, constitut-ing a suitable size range, and stimulating a feeding response is necessary to expand the number of species of marine fish produced. In this Extension publication, we will discuss the pros and cons of using rotifers, brine shrimp, and copepod