Dietary phosphorus requirement of large yellow croaker, Pseudosciaena crocea R

A study was conducted to estimate the optimum requirement of dietary phosphorus for large yellow croaker in floating sea cages (1.0 x 1.0 x 1.5 m). Five practical diets were formulated to contain graded levels (0.30%, 0.55%, 0.69%, 0.91% and 1.16%) of available phosphorus from dietary ingredients and monocalcium phosphate (MCP). Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicate groups of 180 juvenile fish (initial body weight, 1.88 +/- 0.02 g). Fish were fed twice daily (5:00 and 17:00) to satiation for 8 weeks. During the experimental period, the water temperature fluctuated from 26.5 to 32.5 degrees C, salinity from 32 parts per thousand to 36 parts per thousand and dissolved oxygen was more than 7 mg l(-1). Specific growth rate (SGR) significantly increased with increasing available phosphorus from 0.30% to 0.69% of diet (P < 0.05), and then leveled off. The body composition analysis showed that the whole-body ash and lipid, as well as phosphorus content in the whole body, vertebrae and scales were significantly affected by dietary available phosphorus level (P < 0.05). Broken-line analysis based on SGR indicated the minimum available phosphorus requirement for the optimal growth of large yellow croaker was 0.70%. Based on the phosphorus content in either vertebrae or whole body, the requirements were 0.89% and 0.91%, respectively. (c) 2005 Published by Elsevier B.V.