Effects of varying dietary protein and energy supply on growth, body composition and protein utilization in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurataL.)

Abstract

Diets formulated with increasing digestible energy (10–22 DE MJ kg−1) contents and decreasing digestible crude protein (DCP)/DE ratios (34–15 g MJ−1) were fed to triplicate groups of Sparus aurata in three consecutive trials. Fish were hand-fed to apparent satiation and voluntary feed intake was found to be dependent upon dietary DE content. Daily growth was regulated both by energy and protein intake and reached its maximum at high energy levels. Growth composition showed narrow limits regarding protein gain (157–190 g kg−1) and a wider range regarding lipid (55–210 g kg−1) deposition reflecting the dietary energy to protein supply. Energy utilization for growth was constant at a value of 0.50 regardless of energy intake. Efficiency of protein utilization for growth varied between 0.33 and 0.60 depending on the DCP/DE ratio in the diet. The optimal protein utilization for protein deposition was found to be at 0.47. These values allow daily energy and protein requirements for growing S. aurata to be quantified. This demonstrates that the optimal dietary DCP/DE supply changes with fish size, growth potential and daily feed intake.