Evaluation of the suitability of samples collected in vivo for investigations of juvenile sturgeon stomach contents

The aim of the experiment was to determine the capabilities of artificially spawned sturgeon that had been previously fed commercial feed to adapt to feeding on natural food. The gastric lavage method was also evaluated to determine its usefulness in studies of sturgeon food composition. The investigations of sturgeon and sterlet, Acipenser ruthenus L., hybrids were conducted in experimental ponds. The effectiveness of gastric lavage was determined to be 65%. A total of 97% of the fish fed on natural feed. The basic components of natural feed were Chironomidae and Ephemeroptera larvae and planktonic crustaceans.