Nutrional Factors Influencing the Performances of Yellowtail Kingfish Cultured at Low Temperatures

• Project Number: 2008/736
• PhD Student: Ms Jenna Boyer
• Student Affiliation: Flinders University
• Primary Supervisor: Dr David Stone
• Co-Supervisor: Dr Jian Qin
• Mentor: Dr Mike Thomson, Clean Seas Tuna

About the Project

In South Australia, Yellowtail Kingfish fed commercial feeds exhibit low growth rates, low feed efficiency and sub-optimal health at low water temperature (12-14ºC).  In particular, when fed a high vegetable protein diet at winter water temperatures fish are likely to develop winter gut syndrome which reduced body condition, growth and often resulted in mortality. 

The winter gut syndrome seems to have been ameliorated by using high fish meal diets supplemented with vitamins and immunostimulants.  There is anecdotal evidence to suggest that these diets have improved growth rates by 20% however, we consider that here are still significant opportunities to improve growth rate and feed efficiencies during winter. 

This PhD project will study the nutritional requirements of Yellowtail Kingfish at low temperatures and will provide an economic
breakpoint for the cost of feeding winter diet formulations in combination with altered feeding strategies to improve growth and support good health of fish. 

The outcome of this research will be the development of cost effective diets and optimal feeding strategies for the culture of Kingfish at low temperature.

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This page was last updated: 30th March 2009