ES Food and Agroforestry, cilt.23, 2026 (Scopus)
Early larval stages of sturgeon are highly sensitive to feed quality, and enrichment of live feed represents a key strategy for improving survival and growth performance. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of enriching Artemia parthenogenetica nauplii with the cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis ZTS-2024 on the growth parameters and physiological conditions of juvenile Russian sturgeons (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii). Artemia nauplii were enriched using a two-step bioencapsulation protocol and subsequently fed to sturgeon larvae under controlled conditions. Growth dynamics, survival rate, biochemical composition, and muscle histology were assessed. Enriched Artemia exhibited superior nutritional quality, which contributed to enhanced growth efficiency in larvae. During the first week post-hatching, larvae fed enriched live feed exhibited an approximately 30% increase compared with the control group, accompanied by elevated muscle protein and lipid levels and improved muscle fiber organization. Despite extensive research on Artemia enrichment strategies, limited information exists on the use of region-specific Arthrospira strains for the early feeding of Russian sturgeons. The findings of the present study indicate that enrichment of Artemia nauplii with Arthrospira platensis ZTS-2024 represents an effective approach to improving growth performance, biochemical composition, and muscle tissue development during early sturgeon ontogeny.