Evaluation of salinity tolerance in Acipenser persicus larvae fed Artemia urmiana nauplii enriched with imported and inland HUFA and vitamin C

The effects of Highly Unsaturated Fatty Acid (HUFA) and different vitamin C levels were investigated on salinity tolerance in Persian Sturgeon larvae. Artemia urmiana cysts were hatched with standard method and the nauplii were enriched with a imported emulsion (ICES30/4), homemade sturgeon ovary oil both supplemented with three vitamin C levels and fed to the fish larvae as live food for 20 days. At the end of experiments, fatty acids profile in Artemia nauplii and fish larvae, salinity tolerance in fish larvae exposed in different water salinities during different times were determined. Results showed that, the survival rate and salinity tolerance of fish in high water salinity were increased significantly (P<0.05) in all treatments compared to the control fish larvae which were fed Artemia nauplii unenriced. All the main factors have significantly effects (P<0.05) on salinity tolerance of sturgeon fish larvae when exposed in 12 ppt salinity after 120 h but there are not any differences in fishes salinity tolerance between the HUFA and vitamin C combination treatments (P>0.05). Survival rate in the main treatments IES30/4, vitamin C (20%) and 24 h enrichment period were 100%±1.00, 99%±1.00, 99%±1.00 respectively which caused the highest salinity tolerance in fish larvae. Also, omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids in all Artemia nauplii and sturgeon fish larvae treatment especially those enriched with the commercial emulsion increased significantly compared to control groups (P<0.05).