Feeding of larvae of the hybrid surubim Pseudoplatystoma sp. under two conditions of food management - doi: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v35i2.15359

We evaluated the growth and diet composition of hybrid surubim larvae (Pseudoplatystoma corruscans x P. reticulatum) produced in two fish farming by using different systems of feeding with natural plankton: M I, larvae are transferred to fertilized fish pond for being freely fed with natural plankton; M II, larvae are remained inside laboratory in glass fiber boxes and plankton are gathered with a plankton net and offered in a controlled way. It was collected 10 individuals daily during the feeding period with live plankton for 20 days. After the biometry, stomachs were opened and the food items identified and quantified by the volumetric method. The items were represented by algae, protozoa, microcrustacean, insect larvae and surubim fragments (cannibalism). The items with higher volumetric percentage were Chironomidae larvae (29.25%) followed by surubim fragments (19.68%) in M I, and surubim fragments (21.85%) and Moina micrura (19.97%) in MII. The items Chydorus sp., Diaphanosoma sp., sp. Macrothrix and Ephemeroptera larvae were found only in fish of M I, while algae Ulothrix sp., Oscillatoria sp. and the protozoa Difflugia sp were only found in stomachs of surubim from M II. Regarding the growth, the surubim had grown faster in M I