Abstract

The present study evaluated the survival of S. lalandi larvae cultivated in a mesocosm system (50 m3 pool) and inoculated in submerged PVC cages with mesh walls and bottom (450 μm Swiss Nylon). The larvae were fed rotifers and artemia supplemented with the probiotic bacterium Pseudoalteromonas sp. SLP1 and the microalga Nannochloropsis gaditana. Larval survival was evaluated at the stage prior to changing the diet from live feed to pellets. Three months after feeding of the larvae with pellet, the growth (length/weight) and the specific growth rate (SGR) of the larvae supplemented with probiotics were recorded in the initial phase of the culture versus those not treated with probiotics. Higher survival was observed in larvae fed the probiotic supplement than in the control larvae (t-test=4.896, p<0.05). Larval growth in control and treatment increased, with significant differences observed during the three months. The SGR index did not present significant differences between the contol and treatment. These data indicate that after 3 months there were no differences in the growth of fish supplemented with or without probiotics. The results indicate that the addition of the microalga N. gaditana and the probiotic bacterium Pseudoalteromonas sp. SLP1 in the live feed, such as rotifers and artemia, is a good dietary alternative and improves the survival of S. lalandi larvae. The use of probiotics to optimize cultivation systems serves as an example of an ecological remediation alternative that can be applied to other cultures of commercial interest.