The activity of digestive enzymes in larval grouper and live feed

Abstract

Low and inconsistent survival in the larval rearing of groupers is a major production bottleneck (Hussain and Higuchi 1980; Kohno et al. 1997; Toledo et al. 1999). The digestive tract of first feeding grouper larvae is rudimentary (G. Quinitio unpublished data; McBride unpublished data) and there is a short window of opportunity for the successful transition from endogenous to exogenous nutrition in comparison with many other marine species (Kohno et al. 1990; Ordonio-Aguilar et al. 1995). A better understanding of the digestive physiology of grouper larvae could assist in improving the quality and accessibility of nutrients from the diet. The aim of these studies was to investigate the ontogeny of digestive enzymes in larval groupers and assess the suitability of different live feeds.