Assessment of Two Microbound Artificial Diets for Weaning Asian Sea Bass (Lates calcarifer, Bloch)

Two microbound diets (MBD) containing marine fish roes were assessed as weaning diets for Asian sea bass/barramundi (Lates calcarifer) over a 5-d growth trial. The larvae were successfully weaned on the two MBD tested which supported greater growth than a commercially available weaning diet developed for European bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) which is currently used as a weaning diet in commercial culture of L. calcarifer in Australia. The results indicate that marine fish roes are a suitable basis for weaning diets for L. calcarifer, and that MBD are a suitable way of presenting these diets. The inexpensive and easily prepared MBD used in this study may therefore represent a viable alternative to the commercial diets currently available to marine finfish hatcheries.