The mouth of the seven-band grouper E. septemfasciatus opens at
3 day after hatching (DAH
, and the mouth size at the first day of feeding
(4 DAH) is 180 ± 20 μm
On 4 DAH, the larvae
showed a higher selectivity on P. similis than B. rotundiformis, with a
selectivity index of 0.7 and 0.3, respectively.
The preference became
neutral on 5 DAH, and the larvae switched their preference to larger
prey (B. rotundiformis) on 6 DAH and thereafter.
Therefore, a combination
of P. similis and B. rotundiformis is recommended in larval rearing
of grouper, E. septemfasciatus
). The consistent better
growth and survival of grouper larvae fed with the combination of two
rotifer species indicated that they effectively utilized P. similis during the
first few days of feeding
in addition to B. rotundiformis as an energy
resource for growth and survival.