A DIVERSE AND NUTRITIONAL MENU IN FISH DIETS: “LIVE FEED”

Abstract

In aquaculture, live feed includes all organisms both aquatic and terrestrial of animal or plant origin that present characteristics such as soft body, adequate size, movement, high availability, great abundance, high cultivation densities, short life cycle, high nutritional value, and easy digestion. The benefits and qualities of the live feed in fish farming are described, as fundamental part of the diet, given that it induces the hunting behavior of fish. The enzymes present in life feed, contribute to the digestion and optimize the assimilation of nutrients. The live feed is advisable to be used in the critical stages of the fish production process and in the reproduction stage, where it accelerates the frequency of spawning, increases the number of eggs produced, and increases the availability of larvae. The benefits that justify the use of live feed in the cultivation of aquatic organisms are its low negative effects on the water quality and the predatory behavioral stimulus that it promotes in the fish larvae due to its natural mobility.