Abstract

The spotted rose snapper Lutjanus guttatus (Steindachner, 1869) is a commercially valuable and potentially cultivable species, but management stress compromises productivity. Some highly diluted bioactive compounds (HDBC) enhance relaxation and nutrition; thus, they were experimentally evaluated in 300 (n = 60: per treatment) juveniles (8.72 +/- 4.07 g total weight, 8.47 +/- 1.24 cm total length), temperature: 26.9 +/- 1.5 degrees C, salinity: 35, in 10 experimental flow-through units (120-L) for 30 days. Three HDBC treatments [PaV 31CH (Passival (R) MX), InM 3CH (RubioPharma (R) MX) and PaV+InM] and two controls [ET (Ethanol Similia (R) MX) and DW (distilled water] were sprinkled (5% volume/weight) in balanced food (Silver Cup (R) 45% protein) and administered five times a day to satiety. Treated juveniles presented higher productive performance with increases (P < 0.05) in weight and length with PaV (4.26 g and 0.95 cm), PaV+InM (5.34 g and 1.26 cm), and InM (3.91 g and 0.83 cm) vs. ET and DW (0.59 and 1.62 g, and 0.07 and 0.5 cm, respectively). Specific growth rate (1.54, 1.19, and 1.79% g d(-1)), weight gain (0.141, 0.130, and 0.178 g d(-1)), feed conversion rate (1.23 to 1.47), and Fulton's condition factor (K = 1.5) were higher (P < 0.05) in treated fish vs. controls. The average survival was higher in groups treated with PaV, InM, and PaV+InM with 90.0 +/- 2.72, 93.3 +/- 2.71, and 88.3 +/- 1.36%, respectively, than ET and DW controls (65.0 +/- 1.31 and 73.3 +/- 5.44%), suggesting HDBC use could optimize L. guttatus sustainable farming.