Growth and carbon turnover of Piaractus mesopotamicus Holmberg, 1887 (Osteicthyes: Characidae): contribution of extruded feed and natural food

This study evaluates effects of feed allowance on the productive performance, carbon turnover and proportions of nutrient (carbon) contribution of feed and natural food for the growth of pacu. Juvenile fish were stocked in fiberglass tanks and fed to 100, 75, 50, 25, 0% apparent satiety (ApS), with a practical, extruded (C4 photosynthetic pathway) feed in a randomized design trial (n=3); plankton production for simulated semi-intensive farming system condition was induced by chemical fertilization. A control treatment was set up in tanks devoid of natural food. Data on muscle stable carbon isotope ratios were used to study carbon turnover using a relative growth-based model. Low variation of the δ13C impaired fitting a turnover model curve for the 0 and 25 % ApS treatments. Fish of the 100% and 75% ApS treatments reached circa 95% and 82.85% of the carbon turnover, respectively. Extruded feed was the main nutrient source for the growth of pacu in the semi-intensive, simulated farming condition. The current study contributes to the knowledge of the relationship between feeding rates and carbon turnover rates in the pacu muscle.PMID:38656052 | DOI:10.1590/0001-3765202420220805

Source: An Acad Bras Cienc - April 24, 2024 Category: Science Authors: Fredy Armando A Aguilar Rafael S C Barone Gerson B Mour ão Luiz Antonio Martinelli Jos é Eurico P Cyrino Source Type: research