Effects of dietary thyroid hormones on the red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus)

Four separate 8-week feeding trials were conducted to assess the effects of supplementing semipurified diets with either triiodothyronine (T₃) or thyroxine (T₄) at 0, 2, 10, and 50 mg/kg on growth and body composition of juvenile red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) held in artificial brackish water (6‰) and artificial seawater (32‰). At both levels of salinity, increasing doses of T₃ resulted in fish with reduced weight gain, feed efficiency, condition factor (weight × 100/length³), and muscle ratio (muscle weight × 100/body weight), as well as a lighter body color. Significant (p < 0.05) effects of T₃ on the proximate composition of whole body, liver, and muscle were variable, generally reflecting decreased lipid and protein storage in liver and muscle, respectively. The two highest doses of T₃ given to seawater adapted fish increased survival. Dietary T₄ supplementation had no distinctive effects on appearance, growth or proximate body composition. These results indicate that whereas T₃ may function to regulate protein and lipid metabolism in red drum, dietary supplementation with T₃ leads to a hyperthyroidism-induced catabolic state. The elevated endogenous thyroid hormone levels found in fish fed optimal diets may thus adequately supply tissue needs during juvenile growth.