DIGESTION, METABOLISM AND PERFORMANCE OF TAMBAQUI Colossoma macropomum (Cuvier, 1818) SUBMITTED TO EXERCISE AND FED WITH DIFFERENT PROTEIN LEVELS

• Grant number: 13/19422-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: January 01, 2014
• End date: December 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Fishery Resources and Fishery Engineering - Aquaculture
• Principal Investigator: Gilberto Moraes
• Grantee: Luciana Cristina de Almeida
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This work aims to continue studies about adaptive metabolism of tambaqui submitted to different handling situations. The species proposed is of the great commercial interest due to the excellent quality of its meat and its great potential for aquaculture. In a previous study, the utilization of dietary protein in relation to energy fraction was assessed and compared when the specie was submitted to different velocities of swimming and fed with 26% of crude protein (CP), in order to determine a velocity that provide the best "sparing protein effect". Results from this study indicated that the use of aerobic exercise at 2 body length per second (bl/s) is promising for the tambaqui. The aim of the present study is the determination of the appropriate level of dietary protein for the tambaqui submitted to aerobic exercise at a velocity previously determined as ideal (Process FAPESP: 2010/12207-0). The optimization of dietary protein level for exercised tambaqui will be achieved through of evaluation and comparison of performance, digestive efficiency and metabolic profile of the fish fed with different dietary CP levels. For this 48 juveniles of tambaqui will be distributed in four tanks of a thermo regulated system with closed circulation. In two tanks the water will be triggered at velocity of 2 bl/s and in the others two tanks the water will remain static (control). The experimental span will be of 50 days and the animals will receive two extruded diets with 26% and 22% of CP levels, twice a day until satiety. The tanks will be named: 26% CP control, 26% CP exercised, 22% CP control and 22% CP exercised.