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Dietary Selenium Requirement of Fingerling Channel Catfish¹

Department of Biochemistry, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762

Two experiments were conducted in aquaria to determine the minimum dietary selenium requirement of fingerling channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Casein-gelatin diets containing graded levels of supplemental selenium (as Na₂SeO₃) ranging from 0 to 15 mg/kg were fed to catfish for 15 weeks in experiment 1 to broadly define their selenium requirement and toxicity levels. Although growth of catfish was affected by dietary selenium level, significant differences in weight gain were not easily discernible due to variability among the groups of fish. Weight gain data generally indicated that the basal diet containing 0.06 mg Se/kg diet caused growth depression, and a supplemental selenium level of 15 mg/kg also caused a reduced growth response, which indicated selenium toxicity. Selenium concentrations in edible muscle tissue increased almost linearly with increasing dietary selenium levels. Liver and plasma selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase (Se GSH-Px) activities indicated the selenium requirement of fingerling channel catfish was between 0.1 and 0.5 mg Se/kg diet. In experiment 2, casein-gelatin diets containing incremental levels of supplemental selenium were fed to catfish for 14 weeks to more precisely determine their minimum dietary selenium requirement. Growth data and liver and plasma Se GSH-Px activities indicated that the minimum selenium requirement of fingerling channel catfish fed adequate vitamin E was 0.25 mg Se/kg dry diet. Based on these data, it appears that selenium supplementation of commercial catfish feeds is warranted.

KEY WORDS: • channel catfish • selenium requirement • glutathione peroxidase

¹ Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. Publication Number 5583.

Manuscript received 6 September 1983.