Autochthonous bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum as probiotic supplementation for productive performance and sanitary improvements on clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris

This current study evaluated the probiotic dietary supplementation with autochthonous bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum for Amphiprion ocellaris. Therefore, it was performed an experiment in complete randomized design with four treatments (T1: Control without probiotic; T2: 104; T3: 106 and T4: 108 CFU/g of ration) and three replicates. Juvenile fish (n = 120; 0.46 ± 0.01 g and 0.26 ± 0.06 cm) were distributed in twelve aquarium (80 L) and it received trial meal three times a day at fed rate of 4% live weight during 90 days. The fish were monthly measured and determined the total length, standard length, height, weight gain, biomass gain, specific growth rate, apparently feed conversion, relative condition factor, uniformity and survival. At the end of experiment (90 days) fish were submitted to hematological (n = 9/ treatment; Erythrogram, Leukogram and Thrombogram) and histological analysis (n = 6/ treatment; Intestinal tract). Also, after the supplementation period, the fish were challenged with pathogenic bacteria and the survival and blood analyzed. Results showed the fish fed T3 and T4 had improvement on weight gain, feed conversion, specific growth rate, height and total height from the intestinal villi. Increases of red blood cell (Erythrocyte, hematocrit and hemoglobin) and white blood cell (Lymphocyte and monocyte) also observed to both treatments (T3 and T4), However the T4 promoted the greater fish resistance to pathogenic bacteria. As conclusion, probiotic supplementation with the autochthonous bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum 106 CFU/g provides zootechnical improvement for clownfish rearing, but to improve the pathogenic infection resistance, the 108 CFU/g presented more adequate. •Productive performance of clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris.•Lactobacillus plantarum as autochthonous probiotic.•First report about the Vibrio fluvialis infection.