QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Gatlin, D. M. Articles by Wilson, R. P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Gatlin, D. M., III Articles by Wilson, R. P.

Protein and Energy Requirements of Fingerling Channel Catfish for Maintenance and Maximum Growth¹

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

In two separate experiments, purified diets containing 25% crude protein and 2.85 kcal/g and 35% crude protein and 3.99 kcal/g were fed at incremental rates [0–5% of body weight (BW)/d] to fingerling channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) in aquaria for 8 wk. Linear (r² = 0.95) increases in growth rate were observed in each experiment with increases in feeding rate up to 8.75 g protein/(kg BW · d) and 99.75 kcal energy/(kg BW · d). Regressing growth rate back to zero resulted in maintenance requirement values of 1.32 g protein/(kg BW · d) and 15.06 kcal energy/(kg BW · d) for experiment 1 and 1.32 g protein/(kg BW · d) and 15.08 kcal energy/(kg BW · d) for experiment 2. Net gains in body protein and energy also increased linearly (r² = 0.93) with increasing feeding rates up to 8.75 g protein/(kg BW · d) and 99.75 kcal energy/(kg BW · d) in both experiments. Regression equations from these data predicted 1.07 g protein/(kg BW · d) and 17.00 kcal energy/(kg BW · d) in experiment 1 and 1.00 g protein/(kg BW · d) and 17.33 kcal energy/(kg BW · d) in experiment 2 was required to maintain a constant amount of protein and energy in catfish tissue. These requirement values for maintenance and maximum gain agree closely with those predicted from growth data.

KEY WORDS: • channel catfish • protein • energy • maintenance requirements

¹ Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station Publication number 6131.

² Present address: University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Agricultural Experiment Station, Pine Bluff, AR 71601.

³ To whom reprint requests should be sent.

Manuscript received 3 June 1985. Revision accepted 7 June 1986.