The effect of visual, chemical and the combination of both stimuli from Artemia nauplii and from microencapsulated diet on dry diet ingestion by pacu Piaractus mesopotamicus larvae was evaluated in this research. The experiment was analyzed as a 7 x 4 factorial arrangement (seven stimuli and four ages) with two replicates. It was observed effect of larvae age and stimuli, but no interaction (age <FONT FACE=Symbol>´</FONT> stimuli) was observed. The chemical effect from Artemia and both effects from Artemia resulted in higher ingestion rates. An intermediary result was obtained with visual effect from microencapsulated diet. The chemical stimulus from Artemia resulted in higher ingestion rates than that obtained with Artemia visual stimulus. Ingestion rate increased as age increased. Chemical and visual stimuli from nauplii and visual stimuli from diet increased microencapsulated diet ingestion by pacu larvae. Artemia nauplii offered before the artificial diet may assist weaning. These results opens new study possibilities with Neotropical fish larvae precocious weaning.
Artemia; behavior; feeding stimulus; larvae; pacu; Piaractus mesopotamicus
