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Abstract
Trials to wean golden perch, Macquaria ambigua ambigua, were conducted using two commercially-available prepared diets. Co-feeding with brine shrimp, Artemia salina, nauplii or abrupt transition to the prepared diets, were compared. Golden perch fingerlings (25-30 mm total length) were most successfully weaned onto prepared diets using frozen ice blocks made of brine shrimp and commercial diet crumbles, with a 77% weaning rate. The weaning period was over ten days, with the volume of crumble to Artemia slurry in ice blocks increasing by 10% every day. Co-feeding was essential to successful weaning (>71%), as an abrupt transition from Artemia to crumble diet resulted in a high rate of failure to wean (< 52%), and subsequent starvation. However, growth of fish that successfully weaned in the abrupt weaning treatment was equal to that of those that underwent the gradual, co-feeding weaning treatment. This weaning strategy may be used for commercial aquaculture production of this species.