1. Advances in the feeding and nutrition of tropical gar Atractosteus tropicus Carlos Alfonso Alvarez Gonzalez *, Gabriel Márquez Couturier *, Wilfrido Contreras Sánchez *, Ulises Hernandez Vidal *, Arlette Hernandez Franyutti *, Roberto Mendoza Alfaro **, Carlos Aguilera González **, Tsai García Galano ***, Roberto Civera Cerecedo **** Ernesto Goytortua Bores ****. Email: alvarez_alfonso@hotmail.com UANL ** UH *** CIBNOR ****

2. Total length: 120 cm. Weight 12 Kg. Oportunistic carnivorous

3. Geographical distribution

4.  Fisheries in Tabasco  Prehispanic culture  Traditional cook  Use as artisanal issues  For aquarium

5. Commercial size: >45 cm. Weight: 500 g

6. Price: $ 3 to $15 US/Kg

7. 2006 Production of tropical gar in Tabasco Tons

8. Research areas carried out with Tropical gar Atractosteus tropicus in Mexico AREA 1. REPRODUCTION AREA 1. REPRODUCTION AREA 2. NUTRITION AND FEEDING AREA 2. NUTRITION AND FEEDING AREA 3. EXPERIMENTAL CULTURE AREA 3. EXPERIMENTAL CULTURE AREA 4. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AREA 4. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

9. 0.35 mg/Kg. aLH-RH; 0.2 ml/Kg. Ovaprim Hormonal induction

10. Natural spawn and embryonic development

11. Aquaculture Laboratory at DACBIOL-UJAT

12. Embryonic development (36 to 48 h, 30° C) 3 mm. diameter Yolk sac larvae (Total length; 7.5 mm.)

13. Feeding fase Egg: Embryos Hatch Post larvae 5-8 DAH Juveniles 9-15 DHA Larvae 0-4 DAH Endogenous Endo- exogenous Exogenous No return critical point: 96 h

14. Yolk-sac larvae 0 - DAH. Mouth closed Hepatic section Indifferentiated digestive tube Digestive tract development

15. 2 DAH Pancreas and intestine differentiation Mouth opening

16. 4 DAH Almost ready

17. 10 DAH

18. Digestive enzymes 10 larvae /L (n= 1000). Digestive tract were dissected and send to UANL Each treatment by triplicate (N=21) First 10 days larvae were feed with Artemia nauplii, then with trout food Silver Cup (45% protein and 16% lipids)

19. Proteolytic activity Alkaline protease Acid protease

20. Studies on larval feeding  Artemia nauplii High cost and variable availability  Cladocerans Are only temporal food  Insects Problems with public health  Small fish High quantities Carnivorous, micro-crustaceans consumption.  Carnivorous, micro-crustaceans consumption.

21. Treatments GrowthSurvival ( % ) TL (mm)Weight (g) Daphnia (100 %) 26.1 d 0.067 d 85 Artemia nauplii (100 %) 30.7 a 0.129 a 93 Mix 1 (Daphnia 80 %) Artemia (20 %) 29.1 b 0.120 b 89 Mix 2 (Daphnia 50 %) Artemia (50 %) 28.5 c 0.101 c 96 Mix 3 (Daphnia 20 % ) Artemia (80 % ) 29.7 ab 0.125 a 90 Evaluation of different live foods

22. TreatmentsInicial weight (g) Final weight (g) Growth rate (%/d) Weight gain (g) F10.323.59 b 3.27 b 0.11 F20.323.64 b 3.32 b 0.11 F30.324.21 a 3.89 a 0.13 F40.324.22 a 3.90 a 0.13 F50.32 4.59 a 4.27 a 0.14 F60.324.51 a 4.19 a 0.14 Feeding frecuency

23. TreatmensTotal length (mm) Weight (mg) Survival (%) 1 larvae/L36.90.18393.3 5 larvae/L37.80.19093.3 10 larvae/L37.60.18194.6 15 larvae/L37.70.18793.1 20 larvae/L37.90.18593.6 30 larvae/L36.70.18394.7 40 larvae/L37.50.18395.6 Initial stocking density

24. Days TREATMENT1234567891011 Nauplii (control) Artemia Biomass 50%Nauplii / 50% Artemia Biomass Evaluation of Artemia biomass

25. TreatmensSurvival (%) Cannibalism (%) SGR (%/day) N86.56 (±9.97) a0.31 (±0.62) a15.32 a BAC86.87 (±8.19) a2.81 (±3.28) a14.35 a N/BAC94.06 (±6.07) a2.18 (±1.57) a15.19 a Weight (g) Total length (cm) Treatments

26. Evaluation of freeze Artemia Biomass Days Treatments1234567891011 Nauplii (control) 1 Artemia Biomass 2 Artemia Biomass 3 Artemia Biomass 4 Artemia Biomass 5 Artemia Biomass

27. TreatmentsSurvival (%) Cannibalism (%) SGR (%/day) N86.56 (±9.37) a0.31 (±0.62) a15.32 a 1BAC90.62 (±4.62) a0.93 (±1.19) a15.48 a 2 BAC92.81 (±5.80) a1.25 (±1.02) a14.64 a 3 BAC85.62 (±8.32) a3.43 (±1.57) a14.29 a 4 BAC86.56 (±8.74) a3.12 (±1.61) a14.25 a 5 BAC85.9 (±4.82) a2.5 (±1.02) a14.54 a Total length (cm) Weight (g) Treatments

28. Adaptation to artificial trout food Weight (g) Total length (cm)

29. Survival (%)

30. Treatments Trout food (SILVER CUP) Protein/Lipids(%) 1 Trout 1(SCR) 45/10 2 Trout 2 (SCE) 38/10 3 Trout 3 (SCA) 45/16 Evaluation of commercial diets in juveniles Weight (g) Total length (cm) Time (days)

31. INDEXES INDEXES SCR SCE SCA SCR SCE SCA Survival (%) 95.0 ± 1.796.7 ± 2.998.0 ± 1.7 Final biomass (g) 563 ± 24653 ± 44860 ± 62 Weight gain (%) 93.9 ± 0.4b94.4 ± 0.2b95.7 ± 0.6ª Condition factor0.34 ± 0.010.34 ± 0.020.40 ± 0.02 SGR (%/day)6.2 ± 0.1b6.4 ± 0.1b SGR (%/day)6.2 ± 0.1b6.4 ± 0.1b7.0 ± 0.3ª Protein gain0.12 ± 0.01b0.14 ± 0.01b0.19 ± 0.01ª FCR 1.77 ± 0.08b1.53 ± 0.10b1.16 ± 0.10ª PER 1.26 ± 0.10b1.73 ± 0.12b PER 1.26 ± 0.10b1.73 ± 0.12b2.0 ± 0.14ª Daily protein gain933 ± 17b802 ± 23b963 ± 17ª SCR: 45% P, 10% L SCE: 38% P, 10% L SCA: 45% P, 16% L

32. PROTEIN(%)ENERGY (Kcal./100 g diet) 20 30 40 50 60 300 400 Protein and Energy requirements in juveniles (0.7 and 7 g) Bi-factorial design 5x2 Semi-purified diets (Casein base diets)

33. PROTEIN (%) Ingredients 20 30 40 50 60 Fish meal 200 Casein 300 524 748 970 1194 Potato starch 39056432050025042476154104208 Soybean oil 156230128200100172721444284 Fish oil 156230128200100172721444284 Vitamin Premix 5.0 Mineral Premix 3.0 Vitamin C 10.8 Betain 0.08 Cellulose Carboxymethyl 60 Celullose 729407631307533215541319349161 Energy (Kcal/100 g diet) 300400300400300400300400300400 Experimental diets

34. Interaction protein and energy (0.7 g) Interaction protein and energy (7 g) Best growth was obtained with 51% protein and 400 Kcal/100g diet Best growth was obtained with 42% protein and 400 Kcal/100g diet Weight (g) Protein (%)

35. Lipid requirement in juveniles (5 g) INGREDIENTS Casein Sorghum meal Fish oil Soybean lecithin Fish meal Cellulose carboxymethyl L-Lisine Vitamin premix Mineral premix L-Methionine Vitamin C BHT NUTRIENTS Crude protein Lipids Fiber Ashes NFE

36. INDEXES Lipid (%) 5101520 Final weight (g) 64.5 ± 2.5 c 89.1 ± 1.4ª 74.2 ± 2.2 b 73.7 ± 1.8 b WG (%) 306 ± 20484 ± 30375 ± 83375 ± 57 Survival (%) 93 ± 5100 ± 097 ± 6100 ± 0 FCR 1.22 ± 0.09ª 0.81 ± 0.01 b 1.00 ± 0.17ª b 0.97 ± 0.13ª b SGR (%/day) 2.6 ± 0.23.2 ± 0.12.8 ± 0.32.8 ± 0.2 LDI 0.055 ± 0.004 b 0.111 ± 0.015ª b 0.148 ± 0.009ª b 0.206 ± 0.017ª LER 16.4 ± 1.2ª12.4 ± 0.2ª b 6.8 ± 1.2ª b 5.2 ± 0.7 b Weight (g) Total length (cm) Lipid (%)

37. Diet 1: 100% Fish meal. Diet 2: 100% Pork meal. Diet 3. Commercial Trout food (45% Protein, 16% Lipids). First experiment: 45% Protein and 15% Lipid. Each diet was tested by triplicate with 30 fish per tank. Initial size: 0.70 ± 0.05 g. Second experiment: 40% Protein and 10% Lipids. Each diet was tested by triplicate with 10 fish per tank. Initial size: 5.10 ± 0.20 g. Evaluation of practical diets in juveniles (0.6 and 7 g)

38. a ab b a b First experiment DietFinalweight WG % FCRSurvival(%)SGRCFDFIPERFisD29.4b4020.50.797.86.650.401.054.31ab PorkD33.0a4499.40.694.46.870.421.024.73a SCD31.1ab4111.00.690.06.740.401.033.52b Weight (g) Total length (cm)

39. a b c a b c Second experiment DietFinalweightWG%FCRSurvival(%)SGRCFDFIPER FisD49.8c856.81.2934.03b0.391.342.64ab PorkD60.9a1059.51.1824.38a0.411.303.27ª SCD56.0b972.91.1964.24ab0.391.292.43b Weight (g) Total length (cm)

40. Los Pochitoques, Ejido Río Playa, Comalcalco. Technology transfer 120,000 juveniles production per year

41. Otot Ibam ®. Comalcalco 50,000 juveniles production per year

42. Sociedad Cooperativa Boca de Chilapa, Centla. 55,000 juveniles production per year

43. 12,000 juveniles were culture in floating net cages to produce 8 ton

44. Geo-membranes, Macuspana. 3,000 juveniles

45. Research laboratory in the Universidad de Artes y Ciencia de Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutierrez. 2,300 juveniles produced last year

46. Transfer to the Biosphere Reserve “La Encrucijada”, Acapetahua, Chiapas.

47. Laboratory in the Ejido Rio Arriba, Acapetahua, Chiapas. 15,000 juveniles production capacity

48. Geo-membranes, Ejido La Lauras, Acapetahua, Chiapas. 900 juveniles were cultured

49. INTERNARIONAL NETWORK ON LEPISOSTEID SPECIALIST We are not primitives…...……… we are persistent Thanks We invite you to the next meeting in September, at the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica