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DEVELOPMENT OF BROODSTOCK DIETS FOR
ATLANTIC HALIBUT
PROJECT FUNDED BY NORTHEASTERN REGIONAL
AQUACULTURE CENTER
 Participating
Institutions:
University of Maine Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research
University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute,
Center for Marine Biotechnology
Principal Investigator:
Nick Brown, Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research npbrown@maine.edu
Graduate student:
James Cameron (Masters candidate)
NRAC Funding: $61,417
Matching funds: $58,627
PROJECT SUMMARY
The overall objective of this project is to produce formulated feeds
that will effectively replace the raw marine components currently used
to feed Atlantic halibut broodstock. To be considered effective, the
diet(s) will be accepted by the fish, maintain the health of the fish
and fulfill the nutritional requirements for growth and reproduction.
The intended result will be the production of viable gametes that
enable efficient mass rearing of high quality juveniles. The specific
objectives are as follows:
1. To source high quality, traceable, pathogen free components that can
be used to produce broodstock diets for Atlantic halibut.
2. To test two diets that will be used in experimental feed trials, one
new off the shelf commercial diet and one experimental diet containing
polychaete worms and crab meal to replace part of the
fish-meal/fish-oil components.
3. To conduct a feed trial with the experimental diets alongside the
control diet (wet fish, squid, vitamins) to mature Atlantic halibut for
a period of 24 months.
4. To spawn eggs and milt from all ovulating/spermiating fish in the
experimental groups for two seasons (Feb – May 2003, 2004)
and investigate the effect of diet on egg production, egg quality and
hatching rate.
5. To investigate effect of diet composition on egg composition.
6. To recommend a manufactured feed with a defined formulation for
Atlantic halibut broodstock.
 PROGRESS
TO DATE
1. The components for the experimental diet were successfully sourced
and most had been received by the end of this reporting period. Some
significant delays are being experienced due to importation
restrictions on ingredients coming in from Canada due to the BSE
crisis. The commercial marine finfish broodstock diet has been
purchased from Inve US.
2. Proximate analyses have been performed on some of the ingredients
received. A preliminary formulation has been designed based on these
analyses and suppliers analyses. Each of the 38 fish in the broodstock
population was weighed, measured, pit tagged, floy tagged and scanned
using ultrasound. The latter was achieved with the help of Debbie
Martin Robichaud of DFO, New Brunswick. The group has been divided into
3 groups of 3 replicate tanks each. The fish were divided as equally as
possible with respect to sex and weight. The tanks were then assigned
randomly to 3 treatments, 3 replicates per treatment. The population
data is shown in the Table 1 at the end of the report.
3. The feed trial proper will start once the experimental diet has been
formulated and manufactured. The equipment for diet preparation has
been purchased. This will be used to produce sausage diets for the
experimental and commercial diet.
4. Spawning is expected to take place between February and April 2004.
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