Nutritional Support of Fish

Abstract

Proper nutrition is the foundation of any animal’s health, but because of the variety of wild fish diets, it is often difficult to provide a balanced diet for these animals in captivity. Although the nutrition of fish species that are important to aquaculture has been extensively researched, there is relatively little information on the dietary requirements of most other captive species. Nutritional support of fish must take into consideration their natural history, foraging behavior, diet, anatomy, and metabolic requirements. This article provides a brief overview of relevant fish anatomy and basic nutritional requirements, and describes techniques used to encourage feeding in anorectic fish. It also addresses the indications, and a possible technique, for tube feeding teleosts.

Key words: fish, nutrition, tube feeding, captivity, diet