Effects of Hatching Time Interval on Growth Performance, Survival Rate, Sedimentation Behavior, and Exogenous Feeding Onset of Great Sturgeon (Huso huso Linnaeus, 1758)

Abstract

We examined the influence of different hatching times on growth and survival of beluga, Huso huso, over a 28-day period. Larvae from a single pair of beluga, Huso huso, were divided according to hatching time into four groups: early, mid (between 6–9 h after the first group), late (23–26 h after the first group), and a mixture of first to last hatched larvae. At hatching time, there was no statistical difference (P > 0.05) in size and length among the four groups. Prior to the onset of exogenous feeding, groups A and D exhibited slightly earlier onset of aggregation behavior and began exogenous feeding 18 h sooner than the other groups (P < 0.05). Mortality after the onset of the endogenous feeding phase was not significantly different among groups (A: 8.15% ± 0.47%; B: 8.55% ± 0.41%; C: 6.63% ± 0.53% and C: 8.23% ± 0.43%) (P > 0.05). Results showed that hatching time has no effect on the growth and overall mortality of larval beluga.

Keywords:

• Growth performance
• Huso huso
• sedimentation behavior
• hatching time