Studies on a purifed diet for prawn. XIV. Requirement of prawn for dietary thiamine, pyridoxine, and choline chloride.

Abstract

The dietary requirements of prawn, Penaeus japonicus, for thiamine, pyridoxine, and choline chloride were studied by feeding purified test dies. The results are summarized as follows: 1. The influences of dietary thiamine level on the growth and survival of prawn appeared to be rather obscure during the feeding experiment for twelve weeks, though the growth of the prawn fed on a thiamine-deficient diet declined slightly after ten weeks. The desirable level of dietary thiamine hydrochloride was found to be approximately 6mg per 100g diet on the basis of the growth, or approximately 12mg based on the thiamine content of prawn at the end of the feeding experiment. 2. Retardation of growth and high mortality of prawn occurred early on a pyridoxine-deficient diet. Also, the prawn maintained on a diet with a high pyridoxine level exhibited low growth. The favorable level of dietary pyridoxine was found to be approximately 12mg per 100g diet on the basis of both the growth and the pyridoxine content of prawn at the end of the feeding experiment. 3. The prawn fed on a choline-deficient diet showed a similar growth to those fed on choline-supplemented diets. Also the bodily choline concentration was high regardless of the level of dietary choline chloride. This vitamin was concluded to be dispensable for the growth of the prawn.