Taurine supplement improved growth performance and digestive capacity of pikeperch larvae

Pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) intensive aquaculture development has been slowed down by high mortality rates (>70%) during larval rearing. The use of taurine during larval development in other species has been reported to improve survival as well as growth. This trial aims to find out whether supplementation of taurine during the larval stage will benefit pikeperch larval performance and if digestive enzyme production can be promoted. A 21-day trial was carried out, in which taurine live feed enrichment for pikeperch larvae was tested. Overall, growth parameters, such as total length (TL), myomere height (MH) and eye diameter (ED), were significantly higher, whereas survival between treatments remained equal. Specific activities of digestive enzymes in the control group were low compared to the taurine group during the first 7 days post hatching (dph) but reached the peak values for alkaline proteases, lipase and pepsin at 14 dph. Taurine supplementation increased specific pepsin, alkaline proteases and lipase activities in early larval stages where larvae presented enhanced levels of alkaline proteases and pepsin activities at 7 dph, while that of lipase tended to be higher although not significantly. Such enhancement of enzyme activity can improve nutrient availability, which has had a direct effect in improving pikeperch larvae growth and development. However, these differences in digestive activity were compensated at the end of the experimental period (21 dph).