From Live Feeds to Formulated Diets: Advancing Larval Fish Nutrition for Growth and Survival

The field of aquaculture nutrition has rapidly evolved, deepening our understanding of the dietary needs of fish larvae and their developmental physiology. Early feeding practices remain among the most decisive factors in fish larviculture, as the transition from endogenous to exogenous feeding determines survival, growth, and long-term performance. Despite significant progress, feeding strategies are still constrained by limited knowledge of digestive ontogeny, nutrient assimilation mechanisms, and the physiological implications of dietary transitions from live feeds to formulated diets. Studies have identified the importance of diet composition, feeding frequency, digestive enzyme activity, and gene expression profiles associated with growth and stress responses. However, the lack of standardized methods for assessing digestive capacity, nutrient bioavailability, and metabolic adaptability continues to hinder the refinement of sustainable larval diets.This Research Topic aims to advance integrative insights into how feeding regimes influence physiological, molecular, and developmental outcomes in fish larvae. It seeks to bridge the gap between nutritional composition and functional performance by elucidating the mechanisms by which diet modulates digestive maturation, metabolic regulation, and resilience under environmental or nutritional stressors. Specific goals include identifying optimal feeding strategies that enhance growth and survival, understanding the ontogeny of digestive function, and characterizing biomarkers of nutritional adequacy and health at early life stages.To gather further insights in this area, we welcome studies employing physiological, biochemical, molecular, and omics tools across a range of larval fish species and production systems. Target themes include, but are not limited to:o Nutrient utilization and digestive physiology during early fish developmento Transition mechanisms from live feed to microdiets or formulated dietso Regulation of enzyme activity and gene expression under different feeding regimeso Nutritional modulation of stress tolerance, metabolism, and immune responseso Developmental and ontogenetic shifts in digestive system functionalityo Innovative feed formulations, biotechnological approaches, and standardization of nutritional assessment methods Topic editors: Carlos Alfonso Alvarez-González, Mario A Galaviz, Dariel Tovar-Ramírez, Miguel Angel Saenz De Rodrigañez Garcia Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81525/from-live-feeds-to-formulated-diets-advancing-larval-fish-nutrition-for-growth-and-survival