Iodine and selenium supplementation increased survival and changed thyroid hormone status in Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) larvae reared in a recirculation system.

To test how iodine and both iodine and selenium supplementation affected the thyroid status as well as growth and survival in Senegalese sole, larvae were reared in a recirculation system from 15 to 34 DAH. Sets of three tanks were assigned to each of the following three diets: control (C), iodine (I) and iodine and selenium (I + Se). Samples were collected at 15, 27 and 34 DAH to determine dry weight, iodine and selenium levels, GPx and ORD activities, thyroid hormone levels and thyroid follicles histology. At 34 DAH, fish from the control (C) treatment suffered from hyperplasia of the thyroid follicles (goitre), whereas iodine-treated larvae did not (I and I + Se). Lower survival rates in the C groups were probably a consequence of the hyperplasia. Moreover, there was an improvement in thyroid hormone status in I- and I + Se-treated larvae, showing that further supplementation of live feed with iodine can be crucial for fish at early life stages, as it seems to sustain normal larval development, when reared in a recirculation system. Selenium did not affect the results. Together with previous results, this indicates selenium supplement is more important at younger life stages.