Optimization of the culture methods for nursing Chinese black sleeper (Bostrychus sinensis Lacepede, 1801) fry using an orthogonal array design

摘要

Chinese black sleeper (Bostrychus sinensis) is a burrow-dwelling fish found in intertidal mudflats. As a commercially important fish in southern China, the nursing of B. sinensis fry is a critical step for its farming. The growth and survival of B. sinensis fry are closely related to the stocking density, shelter and diet. In this study, 1575 healthy fry were used to investigate the effects of three factors, namely: diet, stocking density, and shelter on the survival rate (SR), specific growth rate (SGR) and condition factor (CF). The optimal combinations of three levels of each of these three factors (A1-3, B1-3 and C1-3) were also determined, using an orthogonal array design of OA(9) (3(4)). After 50 days of nursing, the results showed that: (i) the best combinations for the three factors at their optimal levels were A1B1C2 or A1B1C3; (ii) factor A was the most important factor and had significant effects (P 0.05) on the SR and SGR of the fry, while the other factors had no significant effects (P > 0.05); (iii) the SGR, SR and CF of fry fed with commercial formulated feed (CFF) were significantly higher (P 0.05) compared to those of fry fed with minced trash fish (MTF); and (iv) the fry fed with MTF mixed with antimicrobial peptides (MTF+AMP) showed higher SGR, SR and CF than those fed with MTF alone, which indicated that the antimicrobial peptides had positive effects on the growth and survival of the fry.