. This nutrient plays an array of critical
roles in bile salt synthesis, anti-oxidative defense, cellular osmoregulation,
as well as contributing to visual, neural and muscular function
and development (Fang et al., 2002; Omura and Inagaki, 2000). In
addition, taurine enriched rotifers fed to bluefin tuna (BFT) larvae in
studies carried out at the IOLR (Koven, pers. Communication), markedly
reduced the incidence of urinary calculi in the urinary tract. These
calculi can be a major cause of mortality and/or weaken first feeding
larvae in species such as the BFT as well as a number of other commercially
valuable teleosts.