• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.1424-1431
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• 2018

We prepared flocculated detritus-like organic marine snow originating from various organisms by fermentation using microorganisms; this fermented organic material was fed to the leptocephali of the eel (Anguilla japonica) to investigate whether or not such organic matter was an appropriate food source for the larvae. A strain was isolated from a biofloc technology system used to culture fish, and seven types of organic material from hen's egg, eel muscle, tuna muscle, lugworm, shrimp, manila clam, mussel, and sea squirt were fermented using isolated bacteria (Bacillus sp.). The fermented matter did not show any specific form and was larger than $10-20{\mu}m$ but no more than $100{\mu}m$ in size. Four diets (A-D) were prepared using the various fermented products, and the larvae were fed the prepared food from 20 days after hatching. The leptocephali fed the A, B, and C diets survived until 37, 39, and 37 days after hatching, respectively. However, the leptocephali fed the D diet survived for 60 days after hatching. The protein content of each diet was very similar, but the n-3 HUFA concentration in the D diet was approximately twice as high as that of the others.