Effects of Dietary Lipids on Growth and Feed Utilization of Jade Perch, Scortum barcoo

Abstract

Abstract To examine the effects of dietary lipids on the growth and feed utilization of jade perch juveniles, Scortum barcoo, diets containing 36.3% crude protein supplemented with increasing lipid levels (6, 9, 12, and 15% of the dry matter) were used to feed triplicate groups of 30 fish for 60 d. At the end of the experiment, more than 95% fish survived well from all diet groups (P > 0.05). Measurements on the weight gains and the daily specific growth rates indicated that fish fed with diets of 12 and 15% lipids exhibited higher growth rates (P < 0.05); evaluations for the feed conversion ratio and the protein efficiency ratio indicated that fish fed with 12 and 15% lipid diets used their feed and dietary proteins more efficiently (P < 0.05). The muscle lipid and dry matter contents increased dramatically in fish fed with higher dietary lipid levels (P < 0.05). The highest lipid contents were obtained from fish in the 15% lipid diet group and the highest amount of dry matters from the 12% lipid diet group. On the other hand, protein contents in fish muscles declined with increasing dietary lipid levels (P < 0.05), and the lowest values were shown in the 15% lipid diet group. Ash contents showed no significant differences from muscles of fish fed with four different diets (P > 0.05). Together, increasing lipid levels in fish diets was effective to improve fish growth, feed efficiency, and protein utilization.