White sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) optimum feeding rates at week 6 and 10 after initiation of feeding.

"The effects of feeding rates on growth performance and body proximate composition of white sturgeon juveniles 6 and 10 weeks after initiation of feeding were assessed. Two 1-week-long trials with six different feeding rates, replicated four times, were carried out. The feeding rates were 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, and 8.0% body weight (bw)\/day (d) in the first trial and 0.8, 1.6, 2.4, 3.2, 4.0, and 4.8% bw\/d in the second trial. Sixty fishes with 2.27 ± 0.9 g (mean ± SD) initial body weight were used in the first trial, and 25 fishes with 15.78 ± 4.4 g initial body weight were used in the second trial. The juveniles were kept at 18–19°C in small circular tanks (66 cm in diameter and 27 cm in water height) containing 90 L water and 3 L\/min flow and were fed a commercial salmonid soft-moist feed using automatic feeders. Mortality was almost zero (only one fish died in the first trial, which was unrelated to feeding rates). Specific growth rate (SGR), feeding efficiency, and body composition were significantly (P < 0.05) affected by feeding rates. Broken-line analysis of SGR indicated that the optimum feeding rates of white sturgeon juveniles were 6.5 ± 0.4% and 3.8 ± 0.1% bw\/d for the fifth and the 10th week after initiation of feeding."