Photo credit: Facundo Marquez (Estuario del Plata – Uruguay)
Review: Facundo Marquez and Abdel Rahman El Gamal (Founder of the website)
This photo has been taken in a commercial caviar producing farm in Uruguay. The feed mill shown in the inserted photo belongs to the farm and produced feed and feed ingredients are certified organic.
The followings are additional information related to sturgeon feeding:
The shape of sturgeon’s mouth and their body structure determine their feeding requirements. They are bottom feeders and hence in commercial operation they feed on sinking feed.
Although sturgeons have extremely poor eyesight, but they use their exceptional sensitive barbels and sense of taste and smell to locate and to track down sustenance. Moreover, their lack of teeth is being compensated by their extendible mouth which allows them to suck up their meal.
Depending on the size and nutritional requirements of cultured sturgeon, the feed throughout life phases enjoy protein content of about 40-45% while fat content ranges from 16-18%. The size of feed pellets varies according to fish size. Usually sizes of juvenile feed are 2mm, 3mm, and 4.5mm while pellet size for grow-out are 6 mm and 8 mm. Some feed mills add a known probiotic that is approved by the European Food Safety Authorities to improve survival and overall fish well-being.
