The effects of hypercapnia on the growth of juvenile white sturgeon, Acipenser transmontanus

• Published in: Aquaculture Vol. 147; no. 3; pp. 293 - 299
• Main Authors: Crocker, Carlos E., Cech, Joseph J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.12.1996; Elsevier Sequoia S.A
• Subjects: Acipenser; Acipenser transmontanus; acuicultura; Aquaculture; carbon dioxide; CO 2; crecimiento; croissance; dioxido de carbono; dioxyde de carbone; Fish; Growth; Hypercapnia; Physical growth; Sturgeon; Hypercapnia; CO 2; Sturgeon; Acipenser; Growth
• ISSN: 0044-8486; 1873-5622
• DOI: 10.1016/S0044-8486(96)01411-1

Environmental hypercapnia (high dissolved [CO 2]) results from high-density sturgeon culture in systems using O 2 injection and water re-use. The influence of environmental hypercapnia on the growth of the juvenile white sturgeon, Acipenser transmontanus, (fish initial wet weight, about 4 g) was examined by exposing the fish to different CO 2 concentrations in replicate, flow-through aquaria under normoxic conditions (oxygen tension, above 130 torr P O 2 ) at 19 °C. The fish were fed ad libitum rations of commercial trout pellets (Silvercup). After 28 days exposure to severe hypercapnia ([CO 2], 45–75 mg 1 −1; pH 7.0), growth was significantly reduced ( P < 0.05) (the final body weight was reduced by about 38%; the specific growth rate (SGR), 1.17) compared to that of sturgeon in normocapnic water ([CO 2], 0.52 mg 1 −1; pH 8.0; SGR, 2.86), presumably due to decreased food consumption. In two subsequent experiments (initial wet weights, approximately 1 and 3 g), a low water pH (a mean of 7.1, via HCl addition to water) did not significantly affect the growth.