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Diets comprising hen egg yolk and milk proteins as potential alternatives to shark egg-based diets for larvae of the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica

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Abstract

The only diet that has been capable of rearing eel larvae to the glass eel stage in captivity is the shark egg (SE)-based diet (SE). This study investigated the potential of alternative dietary components, namely hen egg yolk (HEY), milk proteins, and fish protein hydrolysate (FPH), on the growth and survival of eel larvae. In the first experiment, a diet containing HEY and skimmed milk powder (HS) was compared to SE. There were no significant differences in growth and survival rate between the two diets except in the early part of the experiment period. In the second experiment, HS was modified by the addition of FPH and casein (FC), and larval performance was evaluated for three dietary regimens (SE, HS, and FC). The performance of larvae fed HS and FC was found to be comparable or superior to those fed SE. It was observed that larvae fed the alternative diets to SE were able to progress to glass eels. However, more skeletal abnormalities were observed in HS in experiment 1. The results of this study indicate that a combination of HEY and milk proteins is suitable as a larval eel diet, and that it has the potential to replace SE.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by MAFF commissioned project study on the ‘‘Development of Sustainable Aquaculture Technology Independent of Wild Fishery Resources’’ (JPJ000329).

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Author notes

  1. Hirofumi Furuita, Kazuharu Nomura, Hiroyuki Matsunari & Hiromi Oku

    Present address: Nansei Field Station, Fisheries Technology Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Minami-ise, Mie, 516-0193, Japan

  2. Tadao **bo & Masato Higuchi

    Present address: Shibushi Field Station, Fisheries Technology Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Shibushi, Kagoshima, 899-7101, Japan

  3. Ryusuke Sudo

    Present address: Minami-izu Field Station, Fisheries Technology Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Minami-izu, Shizuoka, 415-0156, Japan

  4. Koji Murashita & Takeshi Yamamoto

    Present address: Tamaki Field Station, Fisheries Technology Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Tamaki, Mie, 519-0423, Japan

  5. Hideki Tanaka

    Present address: Uragami Station, Aquaculture Research Institute, Kindai University, Nachikatsuura, Wakayama, 649-5145, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nansei Station, National Research Institute of Aquaculture, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Minami-ise, Mie, 516-0193, Japan

    Hirofumi Furuita, Kazuharu Nomura, Ryusuke Sudo, Hiroyuki Matsunari, Hiromi Oku & Hideki Tanaka

  2. Shibushi Station, National Research Institute of Aquaculture, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Shibushi, Kagoshima, 899-7101, Japan

    Tadao **bo & Masato Higuchi

  3. Tamaki Station, National Research Institute of Aquaculture, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Tamaki, Mie, 519-0423, Japan

    Koji Murashita & Takeshi Yamamoto

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  1. Hirofumi Furuita
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  2. Tadao **bo
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Correspondence to Hirofumi Furuita.

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Furuita, H., **bo, T., Higuchi, M. et al. Diets comprising hen egg yolk and milk proteins as potential alternatives to shark egg-based diets for larvae of the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica. Fish Sci 90, 295–305 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-024-01752-7

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