An Estimate of the Dietary Lysine Requirement of Juvenile Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus

Quadruplicate groups of juvenile red drum (initial mean weight 2.7 g; 20 fish per replicate) were fed experimental diets containing 35% crude protein and graded levels of lysine for eight weeks. Lysine concentration in the basal diet was 1.2% and was supplied by a combination of peanut meal and shrimp-head meal. The basal diet was supplemented with lysine-HCI to provide 1.6, 2.0, and 2.4% lysine. Each of these diets contained an essential amino acid (EAA) premix. Two additional diets were formulated to contain 1.2 and 2.4% lysine without the EAA premix. Weight gain and feed efficiency (FE) data indicated between 1.2 and 1.6% dietary lysine was adequate. However, serum lysine concentrations indicated 1.6–2.0% lysine was required. Fish fed 1.2 or 2.4% lysine, without the EAA premix, exhibited reduced weight gain and feed efficiency. Results indicated that red drum were able to utilize crystalline amino acids when incorporated into diets containing intact protein and, when lysine was adequate, the proteins were deficient in at least one other essential amino acid. It is recommended that a dietary lysine level of 5.7% of the dietary protein be used in formulating red drum diets.