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Monogeneans cause significant reductions in the productive performance and survival of farmed fish. Although there are pharmacological treatments against these parasites, they are not equally effective for all stages or harmful to fish and the environment, thus the interest to study the therapeutic potential of plant-derived products. This study evaluated the anthelmintic effect of garlic extract (GE) and diallyl sulfide (DAS) immersion baths, through in vitro and in vivo trials, on the life stages of Zeuxapta seriolae. In vitro, we found that (1) eggs exposed acutely at 16 mL GE/L and 0.01 mg DAS/mL or continuously at 4 mL GE/L and 0.01 mg DAS/mL, exhibited reduced hatching success, (2) oncomiracidial lifespan was significantly reduced when exposed to both 1 mL GE/L and 0.01 mg DAS/mL, and (3) adults, exposed to 4 mL GE/L, detached from gill filaments after 2.5 h and showed reduced survival time. In vivo, mean parasite intensity decreased significantly with both 4 mL GE/L and 0.01 mg DAS/mL; higher concentrations of both GE and DAS had adverse effects on the fish, impeding treatment completion. These results add to the mounting evidence of the utility of GE, DAS, and other compounds isolated from garlic to control Z. seriolae affecting California yellowtail and other commercially important species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In pelagic fish species, studying reproductive behaviour and spawning dynamics is challenging. In culture scenarios, these parameters are difficult to investigate for broadcast spawners such as Seriola. Hubbs‐SeaWorld Research Institute has been culturing California yellowtail (S. dorsalis) since 2003 and now it is poised to become one of the first commercial offshore aquaculture marine finfish species in Southern California. Brood fish are typically kept in large tanks and spawn volitionally throughout the spawning season. This method is successful in yielding a consistent supply of eggs; however, it limits the understanding of spawning group dynamics or individual brood fish contribution, information that will be important to scaling production to commercial levels. In this study, genetic‐based offspring parentage analyses were used to evaluate captive spawning dynamics in S. dorsalis over two consecutive spawning seasons. The analyses determined that typically one female released eggs during a spawning event, compared with an average of six males who released milt during these same spawning events. Notably, the analyses revealed that a single female dominated spawning output in both years, participating in 63 spawning events and producing 49.7 million eggs. The largest single spawn contribution by a female was 2.5 million eggs, corresponding to a batch fecundity estimate of 110,000 eggs kg−1. The spawning interval for the most productive females was 5–6 days. Using genetic tools to characterize spawning events will help to improve breeding programme designs for S. dorsalis, and this information can serve as a proxy for estimating spawning capacities of this species in the wild. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Average times to a handleable plane of anaesthesia, total time in the anaesthetic bath, and recovery times for treatment and control groups are presented in Table. Both trial doses of 15 and 25 mg/L of eugenol and the control dose of 75 mg/L MS-222 were successful at safely inducing fish to a handleable or light plane of anaesthesia where routine diagnostic procedures and data collection could be performed. This was likely due to the differences in total anaesthetic bath time (based on opercular rate), with those in the higher eugenol treatment dose and control groups having truncated total anaesthetic times when compared with the lower treatment dose. Use of the lower eugenol dose will provide practitioners with a longer period of stable opercular rate during anaesthesia, which will allow for more time to safely handle fish and perform multiple procedures. [Extracted from the article]

This study examines the effects of swim bladder inflation failure, a common developmental abnormality in finfish aquaculture, on the energy allocation, growth, and development of California Yellowtail ( Seriola dorsalis ). Health and fitness metrics including oxygen consumption, aerobic scope, critical swimming speed, feed conversion ratio, and growth rate, were monitored over a 32-week growout period in three groups of S. dorsalis : aquaculture-reared fish that failed to inflate their swim bladders (uninflated), aquaculture-reared fish with properly inflated swim bladders (inflated), and wild-caught individuals (wild). After the growout period, the uninflated fish had significantly lower body mass (636.1 ± 80.4 g vs. 758.6 ± 92.7 g inflated), shorter body length (36.5 ± 1.9 cm vs. 39.6 ± 2.0 cm inflated), and smaller girth (21.5 ± 1.2 cm vs. 23.2 ± 1.1 cm inflated) than the inflated fish. In addition, the uninflated fish had the least efficient feed conversion ratio (2.08 uninflated vs. 1.49 inflated, 1.41 wild), needing 39.8% more feed than the inflated fish, and 47.8% more feed than the wild fish to gain equivalent mass. These differences in growth and feed conversion appear to be primarily attributed to differences in energy allocation. Measures of oxygen consumption using a swim tunnel respirometer at two time points during the growout period showed that uninflated fish had significantly higher metabolic costs than both the inflated and wild groups over a large range of the swimming speeds tested. In addition, the uninflated fish were often observed swimming faster in their growout tank, likely to generate enough lift to compensate for the lack of a buoyant swim bladder. The wild-caught fish had the lowest feed conversion ratios and had significantly lower metabolic costs than both the inflated and uninflated aquaculture-reared fish at the beginning of the growout period (shortly after capture from the wild). The results of this study show that rearing S. dorsalis without a functional swim bladder is not economically feasible based on their poor growth and feed conversion ratios, and suggest that there is room for improvement in the metabolic efficiency of cultured S. dorsalis with properly inflated swim bladders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Taurine is an important amino acid derivative for marine and freshwater fish, especially during early development. We investigated the range of taurine concentrations that influence the growth and survival rates of California yellowtail (CYT; Seriola dorsalis) during transition from live feeds to microparticulate diets, as well as the extent to which nutrient leaching from the microparticulate diets affects these ranges. We tested particle‐assisted rotationally agglomerated (PARA) particles with four levels of taurine: 4 (low taurine; LT), 45 (medium taurine; MT), 93 (high taurine; HT) and 122 g/kg (very high taurine; VHT). Our results showed that CYT postlarvae had no significant differences in growth, survival and feed consumption rates between the MT, HT and VHT treatments. However, it should be noted that the PARA particles containing 122 g/kg (VHT) taurine were especially prone to leaching and may have had taurine concentrations as low as 34.9 g/kg before they settled on the bottom of the tank. Therefore, the actual dietary taurine concentrations experienced by the larvae were likely lower than the initial dietary concentrations. More research is needed to evaluate the potential nutrient toxicity of elevated dietary taurine concentrations for marine fish larvae and juveniles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The assembly and annotation of a genome is a valuable resource for a species, with applications ranging from conservation genomics to gene discovery. Genomic resource development is especially important for species in culture, such as the California Yellowtail (Seriola dorsalis), the likely candidate for the establishment of commercial offshore aquaculture production in southern California. Genomic resource development for this species will improve the understanding of sex and other phenotypic traits, and allow for rapid increases in genetic improvement for and economic gain in culture production. Results: We describe the assembly and annotation of the S. dorsalis genome, and present resequencing data from 45 male and 45 female wild-caught S. dorsalis used to identify a sex-determining region and marker in this species. The genome assembly captured approximately 93% of the total 685 MB genome with an average coverage depth of 180×. Using the assembled genome, resequencing data from the 90 fish were aligned to place boundaries on the sex-determining region. Sex-specific markers were developed based on a female-specific, 61 nucleotide deletion identified in that region. We hypothesize that Estradiol 17-beta-dehydrogenase is the putative sex-determining gene and propose a plausible genetic mechanism for ZW sex determination in S. dorsalis involving a female-specific deletion of a transcription factor binding motif that may be targeted by Sox3. Conclusions: Understanding the mechanism of sex determination and development of assays to determine sex is critical both for management of wild fisheries and for development of efficient and sustainable aquaculture practices. In addition, this genome assembly for S. dorsalis will be a substantial resource for a variety of future research applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The larval rearing performance of California yellowtail ( Seriola lalandi) and white seabass ( Atractoscion nobilis) was compared between larvae fed taurine-supplemented rotifers ( Brachionus plicatilis) and Artemia ( Artemia franciscana) and control groups fed live feeds with no taurine enhancement. Results from the S. lalandi trial demonstrated that when fed taurine-supplemented rotifers, survival was significantly higher than the control group (20.1% vs. 9.1%, P < 0.01) as was notochord length (5.43 mm vs. 5.13 mm, P < 0.005). No larval performance differences were detected between experimental and control treatments of A. nobilis. Biochemical analyses demonstrated that taurine concentrations were significantly elevated in both S. lalandi (23.7 vs. 2.7 mg g−1, P < 0.001) and A. nobilis (33.0 vs. 21.0 mg g−1, P < 0.005) when live feeds were supplemented with taurine. Results suggest that taurine is a limiting nutrient in the larviculture of S. lalandi but may not be for A. nobilis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two eight-week feeding trials were conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary carbohydrate to lipid ratios on growth performance on juvenile California yellowtail Seriola dorsalis. In Trial 1, groups of twenty California yellowtail (ca. 6.8 g) were fed five iso‑nitrogenous diets that were formulated to contain decreasing levels of crude lipid from 21% to 6% by replacing menhaden fish oil with corn starch on a weight basis In Trial 2, groups of twenty fish (ca. 5.2 g) were fed five iso‑nitrogenous diets that were formulated using a similar matrix, corn starch 0–24% was used to replace lipids (11.3 to 1.3%) at approximately 2:1 ratio to maintain the diets with similar energy content and the nitrogen free extract (carbohydrates) from 10% to 30% of the diet Fish were fed 5–11% body weight per day over the course of both trials. Growth performance metrics including thermal-unit growth coefficients and protein retention efficiencies were measured and compared using a quadratic regression model. Fish that were fed diets containing high levels of dietary lipids (15% or higher) exhibited decreased growth performance in Trial 1. In Trial 2, fish that received diets containing the highest level of carbohydrates exhibited improved feed efficiency and overall performance. The results from both trials demonstrate that juvenile California yellowtail with a starting size of 5–7 g have an energy fraction preference and display increased growth when fed diets containing a carbohydrate to lipid ratio of up to 5.8. • California yellowtail juveniles fed diets containing up to 30% dietary carbohydrate exhibited improved feed efficiency and overall growth. • 15% lipid diets overburdened fish, with carbohydrate replacement of lipids improving overall growth performance. • Carbohydrate to crude lipid ratios as a fraction of dietary energy is important for California yellowtail feed formulations. • California yellowtail have an energy fraction preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is likely that Seriola spp. have nutritional requirements for long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) and are unable to meet physiological demand for these nutrients via biotransformation of C 18 polyunsaturated fatty acids (C 18 PUFAs). However, it is unclear whether 20:4n-6 (arachidonic acid, ARA), 20:5n-3 (eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA), and 22:6n-3 (docosahexaenoic acid, DHA) are each required or, as in other fish, EPA is comparatively unimportant in maintaining performance of Seriola spp. Accordingly, we assessed growth performance and tissue fatty acid composition of juvenile California Yellowtail Seriola dorsalis (formerly Seriola lalandi ) fed a fish oil-based positive control diet (FISH), a soybean oil-based negative control diet (SOY), or experimental diets based on soybean oil supplemented with ARA, EPA, DHA, ARA and DHA, or all three of these fatty acids combined to achieve 50% or 100% of the concentrations typically observed in fish oil (SOY + 50% ARA, SOY + 100% ARA, SOY + 50% EPA, SOY + 100% EPA, SOY + 50% DHA, SOY + 100% DHA, SOY + 50% ARA and DHA, SOY + 100% ARA and DHA, SOY + 50% ALL, SOY + 100% ALL). As expected, fish fed the SOY diet exhibited significantly reduced growth relative to those fed the FISH diet. Supplementing with ARA alone had no effect on growth performance, and independent supplementation with EPA or DHA did not yield predictably positive effects on growth. However, fish fed the SOY + 100% ARA and DHA feed grew as well as those fed the FISH diet, and those raised on the SOY + 50% ALL and SOY + 100% ALL diets outperformed all others. Fatty acid composition of the fillet, liver, eye, and brain tissues was significantly affected by dietary treatment. As expected peripheral tissues were more modified than central tissues, and tissues of fish fed the soybean oil-based feeds exhibited higher levels of 18:2n-6 and lower levels of LC-PUFAs than those fed the rest of the experimental feeds. This effect was less overt among feeds supplemented with ARA and DHA or all three fatty acids. Results indicate that soybean oil can completely replace fish oil in California Yellowtail diets, assuming adequate levels of DHA and ARA are provided. Furthermore results illustrate the value of supplementing fish oil-free feeds with ARA, EPA, and DHA, but suggest that ARA and DHA are the primary drivers of LC-PUFA essentiality in this species. Statement of relevance The current manuscript provides valuable insights for fish nutritionists, for the aquafeed and aquaculture industries regarding fatty acid essentiality for marine carnivorous finfish. Our study supports the hypothesis that some LC-PUFAs are more physiologically important than others, with DHA and ARA being the primary drivers of fatty acid essentiality for juvenile California Yellowtail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taurine is an essential or conditionally essential nutrient for many species of marine fish, especially during early development. There is growing evidence that marine fish larvae benefit from taurine-enriched rotifers; however, it is unknown if larvae benefit from taurine-enriched Artemia. We investigated the effects of taurine-enriched rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis) and Artemia franciscana on the growth and wholebody taurine concentrations of California yellowtail (Seriola lalandi; CYT) larvae. The approach used in this study was to encapsulate taurine within microparticles (liposomes), which were then fed to rotifers and Artemia. We found that feeding taurine liposomes to rotifers and Artemia resulted in taurine concentrations in these prey species that were similar to or above those previously reported in copepods. At the end of the rotifer phase, CYT larvae fed taurine-enriched rotifers showed increased growth (final dry weights; DW) and had higher whole body taurine concentrations when compared to larvae fed unenriched rotifers. At the end of the Artemia phase, CYT whole body taurine concentrations varied among dietary treatments. Larval lengths and DWs were not significantly different among treatments at the end of the Artemia phase, suggesting that the taurine concentrations of unenriched Artemia were sufficient to support the growth of CYT larvae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on methods to reduce bacterial loads in the larval culture tanks of California yellowtail ( Seriola lalandi). We conducted two trials to evaluate methods to minimize bacterial loads in the larval rearing water. The first trial examined the use of bentonite clay as a turbidity agent to replace algae in a green water-type environment. This trial consisted of three treatments: (1) clay with continuous feeding ( CCO), (2) clay with batch feedings ( CBA) and (3) algae paste with batch feedings ( ALG). The results showed that both clay treatments had significantly fewer Vibrio colonies in the water column ( CBA - 180 ± 78; CCO - 377 ± 120 CFU mL−1) than the ALG treatment (5692 ± 2396 CFU mL−1) after 14 days of culture. Survival was significantly higher in the CCO treatment (14.1 ± 2.6%) than either the CBA (2.3 ± 0.5%) or ALG treatments (2.8 ± 1.5%). The second trial attempted to limit bacterial loading in the larval culture tank by passively transferring the larvae into an adjacent, clean tank at 1, 5 and 9 days post hatch during the first 2 weeks of culture. The results from this trial showed that after 12 days of culture, water in the transfertank had fewer Vibrio colonies (1025 ± 541 CFU mL−1) than the water in the control tanks (1962 ± 1415 CFU mL−1). Also, survival was significantly higher among larvae that were transferred (43.9 ± 13.5%) than in the control tanks (23.1 ± 6.3%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was undertaken to examine the potential of two non-genetically modified (non-GM) soy products, differentially processed, as fishmeal (FM) replacements. Dietary protein (DP) was replaced at 50, 60 and 70% using the 3011 meal or 40, 50 and 60% with the 3032 meal. Ingredient 3011 was a cooked and solvent-extracted meal from a high protein and low oligosaccharide soy cultivar; whereas, ingredient 3032 was a cold-pressed, low fat cake ground to a meal that originated from a medium protein, low oligosaccharide, low protease inhibitor soy cultivar. Experimental diets were isonitrogenous (45% crude protein, CP), isolipidic (13% lipid), isocaloric (12.6 kJ energy kg − 1 of diet) and were balanced for lysine (3.2%) and methionine + cysteine (2%). Taurine was supplemented at 1.5% in all diets. A commercial control diet (52% CP and 13% lipid) was included for a total of eight test diets. Twenty four round tanks (330 L) were each stocked with 20, 4 g yellowtail ( Seriola lalandi ). Tanks were supplied with recirculated seawater and each diet was randomly assigned to three replicate tanks. After a 10-week feeding trial, growth, survival, feed conversion ratio, protein efficiency ratio, protein retention, condition factor and carcass proximate composition were contrasted among dietary treatments. Results indicate that juvenile yellowtail fed diets in which the 3032 meal provided 50 and 60% of DP grew significantly ( P < 0.001) better than those fed all other diets, including the FM-based (menhaden FM) and commercial control diets. Fish fed with the 3011 meal providing 50% of DP and those fed with the 3032 meal providing 40% of DP had similar growth performance which was slightly greater than the fish fed the FM reference diet. Minor intestinal histology differences were found among fish fed the 8 diets. Taken together these data indicates that the improved non-GM soybean meals supported better performance of juvenile yellowtail than fish fed the FM reference diet. No enteritis was detected even at high dietary inclusion levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A captive population of California yellowtail ( Seriola lalandi) was used to document spawning patterns, including measures of egg production, population fecundity and egg and larval quality from 2007 to 2010. Spawned eggs were also used to document larval development and to develop rearing techniques for aquaculture in the region. Broodstock growth and condition factor were best when feeding rations were maintained at 10-15% body weight week−1 during the warm summer months. A winter ration based on satiation feeding was typically 4% body weight week−1. During the 4-year study period, the only broodstock health issue was an infestation by the parasitic gill fluke Zeuxapta seriolae, which was readily treated. Spawning occurred naturally in the 140 m3 tank when the ambient water temperature reached 16°C and ended when the temperature exceeded 22°C. Egg production reached a maximum in 2010 when 43 spawn events were recorded from a pool of nine females yielding 36.8 million eggs in total. The average female size at this time was 20 kg, which equated to a total annual population fecundity of approximately 226 000 eggs kg−1 female year−1. Larval rearing trials yielded survival rates as high as 5.8% from egg to 50 days post-hatch (dph). Successful larval culture methods included the addition of algae paste for green water culture, rotifers (20 rotifers mL−1) at 2 dph and Artemia (5 Artemia mL−1) at 6 dph. Larvae were transferred from the incubation tank at 10 dph to a shallower tank with 33% greater surface area to accommodate the larvae's strong orientation to surface waters. This research represents the first documentation of successful spawning and larval rearing for S. lalandi in the eastern Pacific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Light can have significant impacts on larval growth and survival of many marine fish species. Here, we study the effect of photoperiod on larvae from captive populations of two marine finfish species, California yellowtail (CYT; Seriola lalandi) and white seabass (WSB; Atractoscion nobilis). Two photoperiod treatments were tested: 12h light and 12h dark (12-L), and 24h light and 0h dark (24-L). CYT larvae were significantly heavier (240±16μg dry weight) in the 24-L treatment group than the 12-L group (155±25μg dry weight) at 10dph. Similarly, WSB were significantly heavier (685±77μg dry weight) in the 24-L treatment group than the 12-L group (455±44μg dry weight) at 18dph. CYT larvae also had significantly greater survival (16.6±6.2%) in the 24-L treatment over the 12-L conditions (7.6±4.9%). In contrast, WSB larvae showed no significant difference in survival between treatments. Food consumption was significantly greater in the 24-L treatment for both species up until 6dph, after which time no difference was observed. Swim bladder inflation rates were not significantly affected by the photoperiod treatments. These results indicate that photoperiod is a significant factor in early larval performance for both CYT and WSB, although it is unknown if continuous light becomes detrimental as larvae develop. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents a study on the effect of cutaneous myxoma tumours and anisakiasis in a California yellowtail or Seriola lalandi Valenciennes. The morphological characteristics within multiple larval cross-sections consistent with Anisakis sp. includes the presence of triradiate oesophagus and lateral cords reminiscent of the letter Y into the coelomic cavity. It is inferred that the spawn of affected fish is not at risk of obtaining Anisakis sp. infection and is safe for human consumption.

Surface disinfection trials were performed on eggs from three marine finfish species: California yellowtail (CYT; Seriola lalandi), white seabass (WSB; Atractoscion nobilis) and California halibut (HA; Paralichthys californicus). All three species were spawned from captive populations maintained at the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute (HSWRI). Five disinfection treatments were used for each species; Treatment 1 included 100 mg L−1 of formalin (F100) for 60 min (current HSWRI treatment), Treatment 2 included 1000 mg L−1 of formalin for 15 min (F1000), Treatment 3 included povidone-iodine of 50 mg L−1 for 15 min (PI50), Treatment 4 included povidone-iodine of 100 mg L−1 for 10 min (PI100) and Treatment 5 involved a control with no chemical treatment (CONT). For each treatment, the per cent egg hatching rate, per cent survival to first feeding and notochord length at the time of hatching to the nearest 0.1 mm were recorded. Bacteria were also cultured from eggs after treatment to determine the effectiveness of each treatment in reducing the bacterial counts (CFU mL−1). Treatments F100, F1000 and CONT yielded the highest hatch rates for each species (70-80%), whereas treatments PI50 and PI100 yielded the lowest hatch rates (0-2%). There were no significant differences in survival to first feeding or notochord length, which suggests that the disinfection treatments did not have a negative effect on the yolk sac larvae. The PI50 and PI100 treatments had the lowest bacterial colony counts, showing almost zero bacterial growth. The highest bacterial growth occurred in the F100, F1000 and CONT treatments. Based on the results from this study, the F100 treatment provided the best balance of disinfection and larval health for CYT, WSB and HA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work aimed to evaluate the effects of different levels of Ulva fasciata obtained from an Integration Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) culture and added at different levels (0, 5, 10, and 20 g kg−1) to formulated isoproteic and isolipidic diets (45% crude protein and 12.5% crude fat) for Seriola dorsalis on growth, hematology, and fatty acid profile content in muscle tissue. One hundred and twenty juveniles (7.93 ± 0.24 g) were randomly distributed into 12, 500 L tanks connected to a recirculating system (four treatments in triplicate groups). After 48 days that fish were fed at 5% of the initial fish biomass, no effects on growth performance and somatic parameters were found. However, concerning the hematological parameters, the hematocrit showed statistical differences among the treatments, being higher in fish fed the U-20 diet than the control (U-0). Moreover, U. fasciata supplementation at 10 g kg−1 resulted in a decrease of approximately 20% in linoleic acid and an increase of approximately 49% in DHA of muscle tissue, most likely associated with LC-PUFA sparing effect. Therefore, the addition of U. fasciata from IMTA culture improves the fish muscle tissue quality. • California yellowtail fed with 1% of Ulva fasciata increase DHA in the muscle. • Linoleic acid decrease of 20% in the fish muscle feed with 1% of U. fasciata. • U. fasciata supplementation up to 2% does not affect fish growth and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the key limitations in the use of artificial microdiets for the culture of marine fish larvae and post-larvae is their poor acceptability. The chemosensory systems of adult and juvenile fish are known to serve important roles in the detection and selection of food items; however, the relative importance and functionality of chemosensory detection and responses are less well understood for the larval stages. Many chemical compounds previously found to promote feeding in fish are low molecular weight, water-soluble compounds that are prone to rapid leaching from artificial microdiets. Particle taste, which requires retention of these low molecular weight water-soluble compounds, is difficult to manipulate in currently available larval diets. In the present study, we used liposomes embedded in alginate particles (alginate complex particles), that showed high retention of low-molecular weight water-soluble compounds, as a tool to evaluate the impacts of several water-soluble organic compounds on the feeding of California yellowtail (Seriola dorsalis) and white seabass (Atractoscion nobilis). We also compared the relative importance of including (and retaining) these compounds within the particles (enhanced taste) as opposed to dissolving these compounds in the culture water (enhanced smell). The results of this study showed that alginate complex particles retained >50% of sodium fluorescein and >70% of amino acids after 1 h suspension in seawater. Moreover, we found that feed consumption rates (feeding incidence and fullness) were greatest when a mixture of glycine, betaine and alanine were included in the complex particles suggesting that particle taste was an important factor for influencing the feeding of white seabass and California yellowtail post-larvae. • Alginate complex particles show high retention of liposome-encapsulated, water-soluble substances. • Feeding indices were highest when fish were fed on a mixture of glycine, betaine and alanine encapsulated within alginate complex particles. • Encapsulated substances had a greater impact on fish feeding than those that were dissolved in the water. • These results may inform the formulation of microparticulate artificial diets to improve their acceptability by marine fish larvae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]