Acclimation to farm conditions of wild caught sturgeon species as by-catch from the North- West Turkish Black Sea coasts

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the acclimation condition for by-catch sturgeons taken to farming facilities, monitoring, condition factor and mortality rates of three different sturgeon species (Huso huso, Linnaeus 1758; Acipenser stellatus, Pallas 1771; Acipenser gueldenstaedtii, Brand& Ratzeberk 1758) which were caught along the Black Sea coasts. A total of nine individuals from by-catch of two different sites were used. First site is the mouth of Sakarya River (41 degrees 07'N; 30 degrees 38'E; Yenimahalle) which flows to the Black Sea, and the second was side of Istanbul Bosphorus (41 degrees 11'N; 29 degrees 07'E; Anadolukavagi) in the Black Sea. These individuals were transfered from the catching area to the land by sustenance tank with marine water. Tests to adjust fish from live feed to manufactured feed under captive conditions were also undertaken. Live food wet feed and manufactured feed were used in this acclimation experiment. As a live feed tubifex food and earthern worms, as a wet feed chicken liver and minced white meat and as a manufactured and sturgeon feed were used. Five individuals from three species were adapted to the farm conditions and manufactured feed in different days. The most sensitive sturgeon was observed stellat sturgeon, beluga and Russian sturgeon, respectively.