Tiger Shark or Gulper Shark Eggs as Food for Eel Larvae
Eggs of the Tiger Shark Galeocerdo cuvier or Gulper Shark Centrophorus atromarginatus as Food for Early-stage Larvae of the Japanese Eel Anguilla japonica
Masuda et al.
ABSTRACT:
Although feed made from the eggs of the spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias is currently used to rear larvae
of the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica the superiority of these eggs over other shark eggs has not been
proven. Moreover, we need to find new materials of diets for rearing eel larvae if we are to meet future demand
for mass production of glass eels. We formulated test diets from the eggs of the tiger shark Galeocerdo
cuvier or the gulper shark Centrophorus atromarginatus and used them in feeding experiments. Larvae
fed a diet made from tiger shark eggs or gulper shark eggs survived for 21 days after hatching and had adequate
growth rates. However, their survival and growth rates were inferior to those of larvae fed on the diet
made from spiny dogfish eggs.
Journal of Fisheries Technology, 4 (1), 7-13, 2011