Performance of juvenile dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus Lowe, 1834) fed different practical diets in an indoor water-recirculation system

Author(s)

Coelho, Rafael ^[1] ; Lemos, Daniel ^[1] ; Tacon, Albert G. J. ^[2]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Oceanog Inst, Aquaculture Lab, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Aquahana LLC, Honolulu, HI - USA

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: AQUACULTURE NUTRITION; v. 27, n. 6 NOV 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Juvenile dusky groupers (Epinephelus marginatus Lowe, 1834; 143 g initial body weight) were reared over a 100-day experimental period in a water-recirculated tank system (28 degrees C; 34 g L-1) and fed four different diets, namely a fresh fish diet (whole chub mackerel, Scomber japonicus), a semi-moist diet composed of a 60:40 mixture of a fishmeal-based formulated dry diet and fresh fish, and two fish meal-based dry pelleted diets, with or without supplemental taurine (5.0 g kg-1). Fish grew well on all diets with the exception of fish fed the diet without supplemental taurine (fish exhibiting a significantly lower body weight), with the highest growth response observed with fish fed the semi-moist diet, followed by the artificial diet with taurine and fresh fish respectively (although these differences were not statistically different: p < .05). The estimated essential individual amino acid requirement of juvenile dusky grouper as determined using whole-body amino acid composition was in the range previously reported for grouper species, with the possible exception of isoleucine and tryptophan (lower) and phenylalanine (higher). The present results serve as baseline for further nutritional studies on the dusky grouper Epinephelus marginatus. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 19/11828-6 - Nitrogen and phosphorus management via nutrition in farmed shrimp: amino acid and phosphorus digestibility and retention in performance trials (N&P)
• Grantee: Daniel Eduardo Lavanholi de Lemos
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants