Our experience with juvenile sablefish and long term rearing of broodstock indicate that salmon grower feeds currently used by commercial sablefish farmers for grow out are not optimally formulated to support maximum growth and efficient feed conversion. However, there are no published studies examining the effects of dietary nutrient balance on productive performance and growth at any post larval life-history stage for this species, and there are currently no commercial diets specifically formulated for sablefish in the marketplace. Because of the large impact of feed cost on the economic viability of farming sablefish, we are focusing on grow out diets intended for use during the post larval stages of development when the fish are being reared to harvest size. In this research, we use a novel statistical mixture model and response surface analysis method to determine the optimal level of dietary protein, lipid and digestible carbohydrate for testing. This approach permits simultaneous testing of diet formulations encompassing the full range of protein, lipid and digestible carbohydrate that can be produced commercially using today’s most advanced extrusion feed manufacturing technology. Raw data on rearing densities, tanks, water temperature, mortalities, ration and feed size may be available.

Up to 10 individuals of a fin fish, shark, and crustacean species are collected and morphologically identified by Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Water-soluble sarcoplasmic proteins are extracted from the tissue; proteins are analyzed by microfluidic electrophoresis (Agilent Bioanalyzer 2100) to generate species-specific protein patterns. The protein patterns are entered into a database to determine which are the most abundant for each species. The proteins that are seen in all 10 individuals are transferred to the excel pattern matching library database that uses NSIL designed formulas to calculate the range of each protein (+/- 1.5 to 3%) and compare an unknown protein to pattern to those in the pattern matching library.

Our experience with juvenile sablefish and long term rearing of broodstock indicate that salmon grower feeds currently used by commercial sablefish farmers for grow out are not optimally formulated to support maximum growth and efficient feed conversion. However, there are no published studies examining the effects of dietary nutrient balance on productive performance and growth at any post larval life-history stage for this species, and there are currently no commercial diets specifically formulated for sablefish in the marketplace. Because of the large impact of feed cost on the economic viability of farming sablefish, we are focusing on grow out diets intended for use during the post larval stages of development when the fish are being reared to harvest size. In this research, we use a novel statistical mixture model and response surface analysis method to determine the optimal level of dietary protein, lipid and digestible carbohydrate for testing. This approach permits simultaneous testing of diet formulations encompassing the full range of protein, lipid and digestible carbohydrate that can be produced commercially using today’s most advanced extrusion feed manufacturing technology. Fish in experiments may be PIT tagged and regularly checked for growth in length and weight.

Meat producing animals in agriculture are the result of ongoing genetic selection for desirable characteristics related to growth rates, feed efficiencies, product yield, and quality. Skeletal muscle is the valuable end product and is a major contributor to an animal’s mass, energy metabolism, and overall health. Considering aquaculture is relatively new to the agriculture sector, our knowledge of growth processes in other meat producing species will serve as a platform for advancing our understanding of finfish muscle growth physiology. Patterns of fish muscle growth originate at the cellular level and are influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Variation in muscle growth exists between fish species, as well as between individual fish of the same species. Cellular growth mechanisms in muscle are significantly influenced by factors like developmental stage, exercise, nutrition, temperature, light duration, and salinity. Understanding how these factors interact with genetic determinants to modify muscle growth patterns in fish will be important to optimizing muscle growth and sustainable practices in aquaculture. We will evaluate expression levels of genes known to control muscle growth in vertebrates. Our goal is to identify a physiological marker of enhanced growth in sablefish that can be applied to broodstock selection strategies and future nutrition and rearing condition experiments. Sablefish is a model marine coldwater species from the north Pacific Ocean with commercial aquaculture potential. The immediate application of a growth marker would contribute to achieving faster growing sablefish strains for more efficient aquaculture production. Sablefish Dimorphic Muscle Growth.

Feed costs and time to harvest are key factors affecting the economic viability of domestic sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) aquaculture. Use of fast growing all-female monosex stocks dramatically reduces time to harvest, but our research to date indicates that the commercial salmon feeds typically used by industry are not optimally formulated for sablefish and there is still a high degree of potential for improved growth and feed conversion. The effects of dietary balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrate on productive performance, growth and feed conversion at any post-juvenile stage of development are unknown, and there are no commercial diets specifically formulated for sablefish aquaculture in the marketplace. Dietary nutrient imbalances combined with inappropriate feeding schedules and strategies contribute to poor nutrient utilization and are unlikely to fully support the growth potential of this species, impeding continued efforts to improve performance during grow-out to harvest. Thus, research activity focuses on establishing performance optimized diets and feeding strategies that support maximum growth, efficient feed conversion and other economically important traits such as fillet yield. Informaion on tissues collected and physiological measures (e.g., plasma steroid levels) may be available.

Feed costs and time to harvest are key factors affecting the economic viability of domestic sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) aquaculture. Use of fast growing all-female monosex stocks dramatically reduces time to harvest, but our research to date indicates that the commercial salmon feeds typically used by industry are not optimally formulated for sablefish and there is still a high degree of potential for improved growth and feed conversion. The effects of dietary balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrate on productive performance, growth and feed conversion at any post-juvenile stage of development are unknown, and there are no commercial diets specifically formulated for sablefish aquaculture in the marketplace. Dietary nutrient imbalances combined with inappropriate feeding schedules and strategies contribute to poor nutrient utilization and are unlikely to fully support the growth potential of this species, impeding continued efforts to improve performance during grow-out to harvest. Thus, research activity focuses on establishing performance optimized diets and feeding strategies that support maximum growth, efficient feed conversion and other economically important traits such as fillet yield. Information on proximate composition of fish and tissues and aqua feeds and of feed constituents and selected fish tissues.

Particulate matter removal by shellfish was quantified in several geographic locations, across several years. Data include filter and shellfish tissue weights.

Limited amounts of forage fish are available as an ingredient in feeds for the expanding aquaculture industry. Work is being conducted on a variety of underutilized materials to provide new sources of protein, oils, and minerals for fish feeds. These materials include invasive species such as carp and mussels, waste from fish and clam processing, and process waste from fish farms. Successful utilization of these materials adds needed protein and marine oils to the growing aquaculture industry, and eliminates the environmental impact of landfill or dumping at sea of these waste streams. Proximate analysis and solubility of new materials.

The FEDZ lab processes fish from large boat surveys conducted by the Auke Bay Laboratories for diet information.

The concomitant replacement of fish meal and fish oil in carnivorous marine fish feeds by more sustainable terrestrial alternatives is problematic due to the limited capability of marine fish to synthesize physiological essential long chain n-3 and n-6 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) from shorter chain fatty acid precursors present in some vegetable oils. This two-year study will employ sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) as a model marine finfish to systematically investigate the potential of fully replacing the added fish oil component of a typical low fishmeal feed suitable for marine aquaculture. The focus of the proposed study will be on the effects of replacing fish oil in sablefish diets with sustainable lipid sources on diet utilization and growth. In particular, the overall goals of the proposed research are the following: 1. Determine the ability of sablefish to synthesize essential HUFAs from shorter chain fatty acid precursors. 2. Explore the effects of supplementing alternative vegetable oil feeds with novel sources of essential fatty acids on growth and nutrient utilization. 3. Evaluate the feasibility of using these novel oils in practical feeds. Data obtained in these studies will further our understanding of sablefish nutrition and set the stage for future research on the effects of sustainable feed ingredients on product quality, fish health, and the reproductive potential of cultured broodstock programs. This research specifically addresses a priority of the 2008 National Marine Aquaculture Initiative, which is nutrition research involving alternative protein based diets and the influence of diet on product quality. Whole fish proximate composition.