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-HCl 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.     

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.     

Dietary Phosphorus Requirement of Juvenile Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus

Eight isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets containing graded levels of inorganic phosphorus were fed to juvenile red drum Sciaenops ocellatus for an 11 week period. Red drum were maintained in a brackish water (5–6 ppt) recirculating system. There were no significant differences in weight gain or feed conversion. However, survival was generally lower for fish fed deficient diets. Phosphorus supplements up to 0.86% increased bone calcium and scale ash, calcium, and phosphorus values. Bone ash and phosphorus were not significantly affected above 0.71% dietary phosphorus. It appears that approximately 0.86% dietary phosphorus is needed for maximum tissue mineralization of juvenile red drum.     

Dietary Threonine Requirement of Juvenile Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus

Threonine is an indispensable amino acid required by all animals for normal growth and metabolic functions. An experiment was conducted in a brackish water (5 ± 1 ppt) recirculating system to quantify the minimum dietary threonine requirement of juvenile red drum Sciaenops ocellatus . The experimental diets contained 350/0 crude protein from red drum muscle and crystalline amino acids and 3.2 kcal available energy/g diet. Incremental levels of L-threonine were added to the diets and fed to juvenile red drum initially averaging 2.8 g/fish for 8 wk. Weight gain and feed efficiency of fish fed the various diets were significantly ( P < 0.05) affected and increased linearly as dietary threonine increased until plateauing around 0.8% of dry diet. Protein efficiency ratio and protein conversion efficiency values for fish fed the different diets also were significantly affected by threonine level and indicated requirement values of 0.8–0.9% of dry diet. Free threonine in plasma also significantly responded to increasing dietary threonine but indicated a slightly higher requirement value of approximately 1.0% of dry diet. Based on these data, the minimum threonine requirement of juvenile red drum was determined to be approximately 0.8% of dry diet (2.28% of dietary protein). This requirement level is similar to values reported for some other fish species. Based on this information diets may be formulated more precisely for aquacultural production of red drum.     

Toxicity of Chelated Copper to Juvenile Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus1

Acute toxicity of chelated copper to juvenile red drum (x?= 3.1 g) was determined in a static test at 25 C and 8 ppt salinity. The 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h LC₅₀s were 1.90, 0.84, 0.75, 0.64, and 0.52 mg/L copper, respectively. Effects of temperature and salinity on the 96 h LC₅₀ (0.5 mg/L copper) for juvenile red drum (x?= 5.0 g) were tested at two temperatures, 25 and 30 C, and three salinities, 0.5, 8, and 30 ppt. Temperature significantly affected mortality; mortality in 0.5 and 8 ppt salinities was significantly higher at 30 C than at 25 C. An increase in salinity significantly reduced the mortality of juvenile red drum. Total mortality occurred in 0.5 ppt salinity within 48 h at 25 C and within 12 h at 30 C. Total mortality occurred in 8 ppt salinity within 72 h at 25 C and within 48 h at 30 C. No mortality occurred during 96 h in 30 ppt salinity at 25 C or 30 C.     

Tolerance of Juvenile Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus to Rapidly Decreasing Water Temperatures

This study assessed the potential mortality of pond-reared juvenile red drum Sciaenops ocellatus subjected to rapid declines in water temperature simulating cold front activity. Fish acclimated in an earthen pond at ambient temperature and photoperiod were introduced into a recirculating aquarium and biofiltration system when pond water temperatures decreased to 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, and 10 C. Fish were stocked according to size group into 10 aquaria containing filtered pond water at 9 ± 1‰ salinity and temperature matching the acclimation temperature. Fish were acclimated to the aquaria for 3 d, subjected to a 6 C decrease over 24 h, and then held for 72 h. No mortalities were observed in any trial. The results suggest that if juvenile red drum are maintained in water with salinity around 9‰, they should survive the passage of most cold fronts.     

Red Drum,Sciaenops ocellatus,Production Diets

Abstract

The replacement of fish meal with soybean meal in fish diets has met with varying degrees of success. Quite often, poor responses to high soybean meal diets are due to a reduced palatability of the diet when fish meal is removed. Recent work has demonstrated that poultry by-product meal can be used as a substitute for fish meal in practical diets for juvenile red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), indicating it may have favorable palatability characteristics for this species. The present research was designed to evaluate the replacement of menhaden fish meal with solvent-extracted soybean meal in practical diets containing 20% poultry by-product meal and formulated to contain 44% protein and 10% lipid. Test diets were adjusted for phosphorus and methionine content to ensure that minimal dietary requirements were maintained. The response of red drum (mean initial weight 179 g) to diets containing fish meal ranging from 40 to 5% of the diet, as well as the response to a low fish meal diet supplemented with krill hydrolysate, were evaluated over a 14-week growth period. Final weights (percent gain) ranged from 588 g (237.8%) to 651 g (258.5%), with feed conversion efficiencies ranging from 62.1% to 69.9% and protein conversion efficiencies ranging from 27.8% to 30%. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed for diet intake, feed conversion efficiency, protein conversion efficiency, intraperitoneal fat ratio, or weight gain. Significant differences in protein intake and the hepatosomatic index were observed. The present findings suggest that fish meal can be reduced to 5% of the diet by replacing it with solvent-extracted soybean meal as well as methionine and phosphorus supplements. Although diets without poultry by-product meal were not tested, it is presumed that the poultry meal enhanced the palatability of the diets, allowing the replacement of fish meal with soybean meal.     

Optimization of Dissolved Solids for the Intensive Culture of Juvenile Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus

Survival and growth of 0.3–0.9 g red drum Sciaenops ocellatus were measured for fish reared in water-recirculating culture systems containing one of the following media: 6g/L diluted seawater; 1g/L diluted seawater; 1g/L diluted seawater with either 1 or 5g/L of additional salt. Salt was added as sodium chloride, calcium chloride, or magnesium sulfate. Mean survival over the 42-d study period was 56.3%. The 5g/L sodium chloride treatment had the highest survival rate (80.0%) and the calcium chloride treatment had the lowest (26.7%). The biomass-change rate for fish in the 5g/L calcium chloride treatment was significantly lower ( P < 0.05) than for fish in the 5g/L sodium chloride, 1g/L sodium chloride, or 5g/L magnesium sulfate treatments. The latter three treatments gave biomass-change rates that did not differ ( P > 0.05) from those obtained in the 1 or 6g/L diluted seawater.     

Evaluation of Elevated Dietary Aluminum and Iron on Red Drum,Sciaenops ocellatus

This study was conducted to determine if relatively high dietary levels of aluminum and iron might affect growth, mortality, and mineral content of red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, because algae coproduct may have rather high aluminum and iron levels due to the algae harvesting and extracting processes. Experimental diets were prepared by supplementing different levels of aluminum (1000, 2000, 4000, 8000, and 3000 mg/kg diet) from aluminum sulfate, or iron (1000, 2000, 4000, and 8000 mg/kg diet) from ferric sulfate, or a combination of aluminum and iron (4000 mg Al/kg and 4000 mg Fe/kg) to a basal diet which was formulated from practical ingredients and analyzed to contain an average of 526 mg Fe/kg and 1940 mg Al/kg diet. The feeding trial was conducted in a recirculating system consisting of 38‐L aquaria maintained at 7 ppt salinity with synthetic seawater and sodium chloride. Each diet was fed to triplicate groups of 12 juvenile red drum initially averaging 4.5 g/fish for 7 wk. At the end of the feeding period, there were no significant differences in average weight gain, feed efficiency, or hepatosomatic index of fish fed the various diets. Significant differences were found in liver iron concentration (P = 0.045) but not iron concentration of whole body or muscle tissues. In regard to aluminum content of the liver, whole body, and muscle tissues, detectable levels were not recorded. Based on these results, it does not appear that extremely high levels of aluminum or iron adversely affect juvenile red drum, and thus elevated levels of these minerals should not limit the use of algal coproducts in diet formulations.     

Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus Field Trials: Economic Implications

Abstract.– Although recent changes in coastal fisheries regulations in several Gulf states have renewed interest in the economic potential for culture of red drum S. ocellatus , few decision making tools with up-to-date information on production economics are available. From 1988 to 1995, estimates of investment costs, equipment specifications and typical input utilization in commercial-scale production were developed from field trials involving complete or partial grow-out of S. ocellatus . Operating costs and expected yields were subsequently estimated based on "best-case" data from a 70-wk production trial in which 5–7 cm fingerlings were stocked on 1 July and grown to marketable size by the following November, thus avoiding a second overwintering period and the associated risks of losses from freezing temperatures. To allow an evaluation of potential returns with earlier or staggered stocking dates, however, growth and mortality rates from the 70-wk trial were used in a computer-based simulation to estimate yields and costs associated with a hypothetical growout period beginning 1 April, deemed the earliest suitable date to avoid fingerling mortality resulting from abrupt or extreme cold temperatures. The April stocking simulation projected a preferred market size of 1.4 kg prior to a second overwintering period, with yield increasing from 3,454 kg/ha to 4,203 kg/ha and a reduction in breakeven costs from $5.97/kg to $5.53/kg. Partial budget analysis, based on a current average market price of $5.72/ kg, suggested April 1 stocking could result in a positive net change of $1,679 per ha over July 1 stocking.     

Dietary Supplementation of a Purified Nucleotide Mixture Transiently Enhanced Growth and Feed Utilization of Juvenile Red Drum, Sciaenops ocellatus

Abstract.— Commercial nucleotide products have been shown to enhance early growth as well as immunity and disease resistance in aquacultured fish. Thus, we investigated effects of a purified nucleotide mixture on growth and health of young red drum. The nucleotide premix, containing salts of cytidine, uridine, adenosine, and guanidine, was coated with binders, freeze-dried, and grounded to powder. A fish-meal-based diet was supplemented with 0.03, 0.1, or 0.3% by weight of the coated nucleotide mixture or with 0.2% Optimûn^® (Chemoforma Co., Basel, Switzerland), a commercial nucleotide product. The experimental diets were maintained isonitrogenous and isocaloric by adjusting amounts of casein, gelatin, and alanine. Five replicate groups of 12 juvenile red drum (10.2 ± 0.2 g/fish, mean ± SD) were fed each experimental diet for 4 wk, followed by an assay of neutrophil oxidative radical production and a bacterial challenge via intraperitoneal injection of Vibrio harveyi at 2.9 × 10⁷ colony-forming units/g fish. Fish fed all diets supplemented with various levels of purified nucleotides showed significantly ( P  < 0.01) enhanced weight gain and feed efficiency during the first week of feeding compared to fish fed the basal diet. However, the dietary effects became less significant during the following 3 wk of feeding. The transient growth-enhancing effect of dietary nucleotides observed in the present study may explain the conventional controversy about nucleotide effects on fish growth. Dietary supplementation with nucleotides had no influence on terminal whole-body composition.     

Effects of Various Levels of Silica Ash in the Diet of Juvenile Red Drum,Sciaenops ocellatus

The demand for alternative feedstuffs to fish meal is anticipated to continue increasing due to fish meal's limited supply and escalating price. One group of alternative feedstuffs includes lipid‐extracted algae (LEA) by‐products from algae production for biofuels. Most LEA by‐products are known to contain relatively high levels of ash ranging from 20 to 30% of dry weight. Thus, inclusion of LEA by‐products in aquafeeds may contribute a substantial amount of ash, which potentially could have negative effects on utilization of other nutrients. To study the ash component of LEA by‐products, diatomaceous earth (DE) was used as a homogeneous source of silica ash. Therefore, two feeding trials were conducted with red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, in a closed, recirculating system to evaluate the effects of graded levels of dietary silica ash. In Experiment 1, semi‐purified diets were formulated to contain 35% crude protein, with DE included at 0, 5, 10, 20, or 30% of dry weight in place of cellulose to provide diets with analyzed ash levels of 8.6, 12.4, 16.7, 25.5, and 33.8% of dry weight in a regression design. Similar diets were fed in Experiment 2 but DE and cellulose were restricted to no more than 20% of diet. Each diet was fed to triplicate groups of juvenile fish (initial average weight of 1.4 ± 0.2 and 2.3 ± 0.1 g) for 8 wk. In both experiments it was apparent that red drum did not respond negatively to even the highest dietary ash levels based on weight gain, feed efficiency, survival, or body composition. No apparent histological changes in the gastrointestinal tract of fish fed the graded levels of ash were observed. Therefore, inclusion of algae by‐products in diets of red drum will not be limited due to their contribution of ash.     

Estimates of Heritability of Larval and Early Juvenile Growth Traits in Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus)

ABSTRACT

Eighteen to 29 families of red drum were generated via spontaneous spawning of multiple sets of three dams?×?two sires. In 2002, offspring from spawning events were grown in separate larval ponds to a mean TL of 30.4 mm. In 2003, offspring from spawning events were individually passive integrated transponder (PIT)-tagged and grown in “common-garden” tanks from 121.9 to 166.6 mm. Offspring in both experiments were assigned to parents based on genotypes at four microsatellite loci. Heritability estimates were 0.24?±?0.06 (larval TL) and 0.48?±?0.16 (juvenile-specific growth rate in length) and indicate a significant genetic component for both traits.     

养殖美国红鱼鱼肉中挥发性成分的研究

通过固相微萃取和气质联用仪对养殖美国红鱼鱼肉中的挥发性成分进行萃取和分离鉴定,初步探明了我国养殖美国红鱼肉的气味组成.从鱼腹部肉和背部肉中分别检测出52种和54种有效挥发性成分(匹配度超过800),相同成分有42种.这些成分包括烃类、醇类、酮类、醛类、酯类和环状化合物,其中含量较高的是醇类、醛类、酮类,在腹部肉和背部肉中分别占挥发性化合物总数的30.47%、38.47%、13.14%和27.87%、41.54%、14.43%.美国红鱼的特征香气以青草味、脂香和瓜果类等香气为主,同时具有难闻的腥臭味;己醛和1-戊烯-3-醇对美国红鱼腥味的形成贡献最大,环境及其他挥发性风味组分的协同或累加作用对腥味的形成也有一定影响;与背肉相比,腹肉腥味明显(F0.01);1-辛烯-3-醇、4-庚烯醛、苯甲醛等物质与美国红鱼特征风味的形成密切相关.     

盐酸氯苯胍在眼斑拟石首鱼体内的药代动力学和残留消除规律研究

在水温(28±2)℃、盐度28条件下,采用30mg/kg的剂量口灌法,用HPLC-MS/MS检测研究了盐酸氯苯胍在体质量为(350.15±5.18)g的眼斑拟石首鱼体内的药代动力学和残留消除规律。结果显示,单剂量口灌给药后,眼斑拟石首鱼血浆中盐酸氯苯胍的药时数据符合一级吸收二室模型,药物在血浆中的达峰时间、血药质量浓度峰值、药时曲线下面积和消除半衰期分别为2.39h、958.78μg/L、33 247.57μg/(L·h)和19.24h;盐酸氯苯胍在肌肉、肝脏和肾脏的血药含量峰值分别为156.72、227.68μg/kg和553.44μg/kg,达峰时间分别为2.0、1.5、2.0h;药时曲线下面积分别4664.04、4897.74、17 228.19μg/(kg·h);消除半衰期分别为19.68、24.33、22.81h。按30mg/kg剂量连续5d口灌给药后,鱼血浆、肌肉、肝脏、肾脏中的药物消除半衰期(t1/2)分别为24.46、35.39、39.60、33.94h。若以10μg/kg为最高残留限量,肌肉作为食用靶组织,在本试验条件下,建议休药期不少于7d。     

美国红鱼大规格苗种培育试验

经6个月室内人工育苗，共培育出约10cm的大规格美国红鱼苗种10.8万尾，其中从仔鱼到全长3cm的苗种成活率为75％，3－10cm大规格苗种的成活率为725。育苗中饵料系列为轮虫（2－20d）、卤虫无节幼体（12－26d）、配合饵粒（14d以后）。     

Effects of Dietary Nutrient Density on Water Quality and Growth of Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus in Closed Systems

A 10-wk growth trial was conducted to determine the effects of dietary nutrient density (protein and energy) on the growth of red drum Sciaenops ocellatus and on water quality in closed recirculating systems. Four test diets, with increasing nutrient density, were formulated to contain 32%, 36%, 40%, and 44% protein and 3.4, 3.5, 3.6 and 3.8 kcal/kg energy, respectively. In addition to growth, total ammonia-nitrogen (TAN), nitrite-nitrogen, nitratenitrogen, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids, net solids accumulated and total phosphorus were measured periodically throughout the study. Significant differences in weight gain and total biomass corresponded to increasing dietary nutrient density. Feed efficiency ratios and protein conversion efficiencies increased with increasing nutrient density of the diet indicating the production of fewer waste products per unit gain. Accumulated waste (net solids accumulated expressed as g/kg of fish) decreased with increasing dietary nutrient density. Additionally, there was a significant decrease in COD and suspended phosphorus with increasing dietary nutrient density. TAN, nitrate-N and BOD₅ showed no significant trends presumably due to the ability of the biological filter to process these nutrients. Based on the observed results, manipulation of dietary nutrient density can reduce metabolic wastes and at the same time improve fish growth in an aquaculture system.     

A Genetic Assessment of a Red Drum,Sciaenops ocellatus,Stock Enhancement Program

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources began a stock enhancement research program for red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, as a possible management strategy for augmenting the availability of juveniles for recreational harvest in South Carolina estuaries. Between 1999 and 2011, approximately 6 million juveniles and 260 million larvae were stocked into the Charleston Harbor (CH) estuary, and proportions of stocked fish were found through standardized sampling as high as 49.6% within a subadult year‐class and up to 12% within the spatially separate spawning population. This study evaluated the genetic influences of stocking on the spawning population, using microsatellite loci, and examined any changes in genetic diversity metrics over the course of the stock enhancement program. Percent contribution of stocked fish among subadult and adult collections was compared against measures of genetic diversity. No statistically significant correlations were found among genetic diversity metrics, suggesting that responsible stocking of red drum as small juveniles has not altered the genetic diversity of adults spawning offshore the CH. Life‐history characteristics likely play a large role in mitigating changes in genetic diversity, despite high contributions of stocked fish in some years, because red drum exhibit a long adult life span and benefit from overlapping generations.     

Effects of Phase-Feeding Decreasing Levels of Dietary Protein on Growth and Diet Utilization of the Red Drum,Sciaenops ocellatus

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate phase-feeding strategies on growth and nutrient retention of red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus. The first experiment was conducted over a 17-week period, utilizing sub-adult (initial mean weight, 70.8 g/fish) red drum. Treatments included three fixed-feeding regimes in which the fish were offered diets containing either 44, 40 or 36% protein throughout the growth trial (F44, F40, F36, respectively) and two phased-feeding regimes. The phased-feeding regimes included feeding the 44% protein diet the first 8 weeks after which the fish were switched to the 40 (P44/40) or 36% (P44/36) protein diets. At the conclusion of the experiment, final mean weights ranged from 592.8 to 543.3 g/fish (F44 and F36, respectively). Although statistical differences were not found in final weights (P = 0.1015) of the fish, percent weight gain was significantly reduced as the protein content of the diet was reduced. Similarly, feed efficiency (FE) values decreased as the protein content of the diet was reduced. Although protein conversion efficiency (PCE) values generally decreased with protein content of the diet, there were no statistical differences. The second experiment was initiated with 281 g mean weight fish and was conducted over a 14-week period. Three fixed-feeding regimes (FF44, F40 and F36) and three phased-feeding regimes were evaluated. After six weeks some of the fish (mean weight 448 g) were switched from 44% protein diet to diets containing 40, 36 and 32% protein (P44/40, P44/36, P44/28, respectively). Results of this feeding trial were similar to the first in that performance followed protein intake which in turn paralleled protein content of the diet. In both experiments, considerable differences in final weight were observed, but due to variation in the data statistical differences were minimal but the same ranking occurred. Overall, it would appear that fish up to about 450 g will perform best on a 44% protein diet but minimal reduction in growth occurs after this point if the protein content of the diet is reduced to as low as 36%.