Effects of feeding prebiotic-enriched Artemia nauplii on growth performance, selected non-specific immune parameters and survival of zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 M.Sc. in Aquaculture, Fisheries Department, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Guilan, Sowmeh Sara, Iran

2 Professor in Fisheries Department, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Guilan, Sowmeh Sara, Iran

10.22124/japb.2026.32319.1580

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effects of feeding zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae with Artemia nauplii enriched with different levels of prebiotic, containing mannan-oligosaccharide and β-glucan, on growth performance and non-specific immune parameters. The experiment was conducted in two phases, including Artemia nauplii enrichment and zebrafish larvae feeding for 14 days. Artemia nauplii were enriched with four levels of prebiotic including zero (P0), 50 (P50), 100 (P100) and 200 (P200) mg/L. Larvae with an initial mean weight of 46.08±0.58mg were reared under controlled conditions. At the end of trial, growth indices and non-specific immune parameters were evaluated. The results showed that feeding larvae with prebiotic-enriched Artemia nauplii had no significant effect on final weight and survival rate (P>0.05); however, weight gain, daily growth rate and feed efficiency in the P200 group were significantly higher than in P50 (P<0.05). Specific growth rate and body weight increase were significantly higher in P0 and P200 compared to P50 (P<0.05), while non-specific immune parameters showed no significant differences among treatments (P>0.05). These findings suggest that prebiotics may enhance larval growth performance, even within a short feeding period, whereas their effects on immune indices remain limited at the larval stage. Partial retention of prebiotics within Artemia tissues, as well as enrichment dose and duration, may influence final outcome. The nonlinear growth response may reflect complex metabolic and microbial interactions, suggesting the need for further research in this field.

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Main Subjects


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