Compensatory Growth of Pond-reared Hybrid Striped Bass, Morone chrysops × Morone saxatilis, Fingerlings

Compensatory growth (CG) or “catch‐up growth” is a period of super‐accelerated growth following a period of suboptimal conditions (i.e., lack of prey availability or overwintering). Little is known about the CG response in pond‐raised fish and whether hybrid striped bass (HSB), Morone chrysops × Morone saxatilis, might exhibit the rapid growth states or improvements in other production characteristics that may accompany the response. To evaluate the potential for CG in HSB culture, a 16‐wk growth trial in twelve 0.1‐ha earthen ponds was conducted. Approximately 2850 fish (mean weight ± SD = 3.2 g ± 1.1) were stocked into ponds and subjected to one of four cyclic feeding regimens. Treatment regimens included a control (0 wk, fed twice daily to apparent satiation) and cycles of 1, 2, or 4 wk of feed deprivation, followed by 1, 2, or 4 wk of feeding to apparent satiation. Fish in the 4‐wk feeding regimen were offered feed twice during the feed‐deprivation period (once every other week). Growth, specific growth rate (SGR), hepatosomatic index (HSI), intraperitoneal fat ratio, and condition factor (CF) were measured every other week, while overall growth, feed efficiency (FE) (FE = [weight gain/feed fed] × 100), and survival were calculated at the trial termination. The effect of these feeding regimens on water quality was examined by monitoring pH, turbidity, total ammonia nitrogen, nitrite–nitrogen, nitrate–nitrogen, soluble reactive phosphorus, and chlorophyll a weekly; total nitrogen and phosphorous biweekly; and dissolved oxygen and temperature twice daily. Cyclic feeding elicited CG; fish subjected to the 2‐wk regimen had a significantly higher SGR than 0‐wk controls during all but the final refeeding period. FE was higher for all fish in the cyclic regimens, although only FE for fish in the 2‐wk regimen was statistically greater (40%) than the controls. HSI was the most responsive measure and significantly decreased in the 2‐ and 4‐wk treatments during feed‐deprivation period and overcompensated during the refeeding period. CF also varied with feeding cycle and proved to be an effective nonlethal measure of predicting a CG response. No statistical differences in water quality parameters were observed. These data suggest that CG can be effectively induced in pond‐raised HSB and that the increase in FE warrants further research for practical application. Future pond studies with fingerling HSB fish should be conducted with emphasis on feed‐deprivation periods of 2 wk and refeeding periods of at least twice that of the feed‐deprivation period.     

Evaluation of Growth Performance and Whole-body Composition of Juvenile Hybrid Striped Bass Morone chrysops × Morone saxatilis and Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus Fed High-protein and High-lipid Diets

To investigate potential use of increasing nutritional density of diets for rapid growth of warm‐water fishes, a feeding trial was conducted in which growth performance, body indexes, and whole‐body composition of juvenile hybrid striped bass fed diets comprising protein (49, 54, and 59%), lipid (16, 20, 23, and 28%), and energy (22.0–25.1 kJ/g) concentrations beyond established minimum levels were compared to those of fish fed a more typical commercial reference diet (37.5% crude protein, 10.5% crude lipid, and 19.6 kJ/g energy on a dry matter basis). A subset of the experimental diets and the commercial reference diet also were fed to juvenile red drum. After 6 wk of feeding, hybrid striped bass fed the high‐protein and high‐lipid diets showed much greater growth performance compared to fish fed the commercial diet. Increasing dietary protein level, but not lipid level, tended (P ≤ 0.1) to enhance weight gain and feed efficiency of hybrid striped bass. Hepatosomatic index (HSI), intraperitoneal fat (IPF) ratio, and whole‐body protein were significantly (P < 0.01) influenced by dietary protein level. The dietary lipid and associated energy level had significant negative linear effects on daily feed intake. Linear regression analysis showed that dietary energy : protein ratio, largely influenced by dietary protein level, moderately but significantly influenced weight gain, HSI, IPF ratio, and whole‐body protein of hybrid striped bass and red drum. Red drum grew very similar to hybrid striped bass in response to the experimental diets. However, significant differences in HSI, IPF ratio, whole‐body protein, lipid, moisture, and ash between hybrid striped bass and red drum were observed, indicating species differences in protein and energy partitioning. In particular, the excessive lipid in the diet increased HSI and whole‐body lipid of red drum but not of hybrid striped bass.     

Effects of Amylopectin/Amylose Starch Ratio on Growth, Body Composition and Glycemic Response of Sunshine Bass Morone chrysops × M. saxatilis

Manipulation of the ratio of amylopectin (α‐[1,4] and α‐[1,6] linked glucose) to amylose (α‐[1,41 linked glucose) starches in the carbohydrate fraction of the diet has been used to improve carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in mammalian models. A 10‐wk feeding trial was conducted to determine the effect of dietary amylopectin/amylose ratio on growth and composition of growth of advanced sunshine bass (Morone chrysops × M. saxatilis) fingerlings (60 g, initial weight). Fish were fed cold‐pelleted, semipurified, isonitrogenous (35% crude protein), isocaloric (3.6 kcaVg protein), isolipidic (5%) diets containing 25% carbohydrate. The carbohydrate fraction of the diets was composed of either glucose, dextrin, 100% amylopectin/0% amylose, 70% amylopectin/30% amylose, or 30% amylopectin/70% amylose. Diets differing in ratios of amylopectin/amylose were achieved by adjusting the proportion of high‐amylopectin (100% amylopectin) to high‐amylose (70% amylose) corn starch. Diets were fed to fish in quadruplicate 76‐L tanks (seven fish/tank) connected to a brackish water (5‐7%v) recirculating culture system with biofiltration. Weight gain ranged from 195 to 236% of initial weight (60 g) and was significantly greater (P < 0.1) for fish fed diets containing 25% carbohydrate as dextrin or as 70% amylose and significantly lower in fish fed diets in which carbohydrate was composed of 30% amylose, 100% amylopectin, or glucose. Feed efficiency ranged from 0.52 to 0.61 and was higher in fish fed the diet containing the highest concentration of amylose and lower in fish fed the diet containing glucose. Hepatosomatic index was highest (2.71) in fish fed the diet containing glucose and lowest (1.401.45) in fish fed diets containing high‐amylose cornstarch. Intraperitoneal fat ratio was distinctly lower in fish fed diets containing some amylose as compared to those fed diets without amylose. Liver lipid was significantly lower (4.8%) in fish fed the diet containing glucose and almost twice as high (7.3‐8.9%) in fish fed the diets containing any starch. Glycogen content of the liver decreased from approximately 12% in fish fed the diet containing glucose to 5% in fish fed the diets containing amylose. Muscle proximate composition and ratio were unaffected by the dietary treatments. Fasting levels (15 h) of blood glucose in fish reared for 10 wk on the diet containing glucose were significantly elevated (5.5 mmol/L) when compared to fasting levels of those that had been reared on diets containing starch (3.4‐1.1 mmol/L). Fish fed the diet containing glucose exhibited maximum blood concentrations (14.6 mmoVL) 4 h postprandial then rapidly declined to nearly fasting levels within 8 h postprandial. In contrast, maximum plasma glucose concentrations in fish fed diets containing starch were roughly half (6.8‐8.1 mmol/L) those of fish fed the diet containing glucose. Blood glucose in fish fed diets containing dextrin or predominantly amylopectin starch remained elevated longer than that of fish fed diets containing glucose or predominantly amylose starch. Glycemic response appeared to decrease with increasing dietary amylose content. These data suggest that feeding diets in which a greater portion of the starch is amylose may be a useful strategy for improving carbohydrate use in sunshine bass.     

Dietary tryptophan requirement of hybrid striped bass (Morone chrysops × M. saxatilis)

Requirements for six of the 10 indispensable amino acids (IAA) have not been quantified for hybrid striped bass. In this study, we estimate the requirement for l ‐tryptophan by nonlinear regression analysis of several growth indicators. Fifteen isocaloric, isonitrogenous diets were formulated to contain 1.0, 1.3, 1.6, 1.9, 2.2, 2.5, 2.8, 3.1, 3.4, 3.7, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 10.0 or 14 g l ‐tryptophan kg^?1 diet and fed to reciprocal cross hybrid striped bass for 7 weeks. After 5 weeks, survival of fish receiving the basal diet was 40% while surviving fish fed this diet were in poor health. Survival of fish receiving 1.3 g Trp kg^?1 diet declined to 70% by termination of the trial. Survival in other treatments was 100%. Fish weight gain was 100% or greater for fish receiving 1.6 g Trp kg^?1 diet or more. Hepatosomatic index, muscle ratio and intraperitoneal fat (IPF) ratio also responded to dietary tryptophan concentration. IPF was inversely related to dietary tryptophan concentration. The dietary tryptophan requirement was estimated to be between 2.1 and 2.5 g kg^?1 diet (6–7 g kg^?1 protein), depending on response variable, using four‐ and five‐parameter saturation kinetics models. These findings will increase the precision of diets formulated for hybrid striped bass.     

Evaluation of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Enrichment of Artemia Nauplii as Food for Striped Bass Morone saxatilis Walbaum Larvae

Three enrichment techniques were evaluated for their efficiency in improving the dietary value of Artemia nauplii to striped bass larvae. Newly hatched Artemia nauplii from the Great Salt Lake (GSL) were enriched for 24 h using the following diets: 1) gelatin-acacia microcapsules containing menhaden oil rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), primarily 20:5ω3 eicosapen-taenoic acid; 2) an emulsion of Baker's yeast and menhaden oil; and 3) marine Chlorella sp. Unfed San Francisco Bay (SFB) and GSL nauplii were used as controls. Enriched GSL (all three diets) and unfed SFB nauplii had significantly higher ( P < 0.05) levels of 20:503 than the unfed nauplii from GSL. Seven days post-hatched (day 0) striped bass larvae were reared for 21 d on enriched or unfed nauplii. On day 21, wet weight and total length of striped bass larvae fed enriched GSL nauplii and unfed SFB nauplii were significantly greater ( P < 0.05) than those fed unenriched GSL nauplii. The enrichment of the GSL nauplii appeared to increase the eicosapentaenoic acid content and enhance the growth of the striped bass larvae.     

Effect of Environmental Factors on Development of Rotifer and Copepod Nauplii Populations in Sunshine Bass Morone chrysops×M. saxatilis Nursery Ponds without Fish

Knowledge of the effect of environmental factors on timing and production of zooplankton populations would enable sunshine bass Morone chrysops × M. saxatilis farmers to stock fry when live food is most available and thereby increase fry survival. Relationships of morning water temperature, morning and average daily air temperature, day length, number of rain days and daily rain fall, and dissolved oxygen concentrations to time required for rotifer and copepod nauplii populations to peak in freshly filled freshwater nursery ponds was determined. Relationships of the same independent variables to concentrations of rotifers and copepod nauplii at the peak were also determined. For rotifers, day length, dissolved oxygen, and water and air temperatures were highly correlated with time to the peak density, but not concentration of rotifers. Time required for copepod nauplii densities to peak was associated with rain events; whereas, nauplii concentration was related to day length, dissolved oxygen levels and, to a lesser extent, water and air temperatures. Regression equations of the independent variables had very low predictive value for rotifer or nauplii densities or time to reach initial peak nauplii populations. Regressions of day length, morning water temperature, morning and average daily air temperature had moderate values ( r ² > 0.7) for predicting time to initial peak rotifer densities.     

Effect of Partial and Total Replacement of Fish Meal on Growth and Body Composition of Sunshine Bass Morone chrysops×M. saxatilis Fed Practical Diets

With the increasing emphasis to replace fish meal (FM) with less expensive protein sources in aquaculture diets without reducing weight gains, an 8-wk feeding trial was conducted with juvenile (15 g) sunshine bass Morone chrysops×M. saxatilis) to evaluate growth and body composition when fed diets with different levels of FM (0, 7.5, 15, and 30%). Six practical floating diets were formulated to contain 40% protein and similar energy levels, with various percentages of FM, meat-and-bone meal (MBM), soybean meal (SBM), poultry by-product meal (PBM), and/or distillers grains with solubles (DGS). Ten fish were stocked into each of 24 110-L aquaria and were fed twice daily ad libitum (0730 and 1600 h). At the conclusion of the feeding trial, final weights of fish fed diet 2 (0% FM, 29% SBM, 29% MBM, and 10% DGS), diet 3 (0% FM, 32% SBM, and 28% PBM), diet 5 (15% FM and 44% SBM), and diet 6 (30% FM and 26% SBM) were not significantly different (P > 0.05) and averaged 72 g. However, final weights of sunshine bass fed diet 1 (0% FM, 30% SBM, and 31% MBM) and diet 4 (7.5% FM and 54% SBM) were significantly lower and averaged 55 g. Specific growth rate (SGR) of sunshine bass fed diet 4 was significantly lower (2.14) than fish fed diet 2 (2.70), diet 3 (2.80), diet 5 (2.68), and diet 6 (2.84), while feed conversion ratio (FCR) of fish fed diet 4 was significantly higher than sunshine bass fed diets 2, 3, 5, and 6. Carcass (fish were decapitated) composition of sunshine bass fed diet 4 had a significantly higher percentage of moisture (70%) and protein (54% on a dry-matter basis) than fish fed all other diets. Percentage lipid was similar among fish fed all diets and averaged 41% (dry-matter basis). Results from the present study indicate that diets in which all of the FM is replaced with a combination of animal- and plant-source proteins can be fed to sunshine bass without adverse effects on weight gain, growth rate, and body composition. Further feeding trials are needed to refine diet formulations used in the present study and should be conducted in aquaria and ponds.     

Feeding Frequency Affects Growth, Not Fillet Composition, of Juvenile Sunshine Bass Morone chrysops×M. saxatilis Grown in Cages

Abstract.— In an effort to feed sunshine bass Morone chrysops × M. saxatilis efficiently, promote optimal growth, and reduce labor costs associated with feeding, sunshine bass were grown in cages and fed one of four feeding frequencies: once/d, twice/d, once every other day (I X/EOD), and twice every other day (2X/EOD) for 21 wk. Juvenile sunshine bass were fed a commercial floating diet containing 40% protein and 11.5% lipid. One hundred fish were hand-counted and stocked into each of 12 3.5-m³ cages with three replications per treatment. At the conclusion of the study, percentage weight gain of sunshine bass fed twice/d was significantly (P < 0.05) higher (1,850%) compared to fish fed all other feeding frequencies. Specific growth rate (SGR) of fish fed twice/d was significantly higher (2.1%/d) compared to fish fed all other feeding regimes, while fish fed once/d had a higher SGR (2.0%/d) compared to fish fed I X/EOD (1.6%/d) and 2X/EOD (1.8%/d). Percentage survival was not significantly different (P > 0.05) among all treatments and averaged 70.4%r. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) of fish fed twice/d was significantly higher (2.40) compared to fish fed all other feeding regimes. Percentage fillet weight of fish fed twice/d was significantly higher (27.8%) compared to all other treatments. Percentage moisture, protein, lipid, and ash in fillet were not significantly different among all treatments and averaged 75.7%, 19.4%, 3.5%, and 1.2%n, respectively (wet-weight basis). Based upon data from the present study, it appears that producers growing juvenile sunshine bass in cages may want to feed fish twice daily. This feeding regimen allows for higher growth rates, without adverse effects on body or fillet compositions. However, economic analysis needs to be conducted to determine if feeding twice/d is profitable.     

Nutrient Digestibility of Common Feedstuffs in Extruded Diets for Sunshine Bass Morone chrysops♀×M. saxatilis ♂

The digestibility of nutrients and energy in various ingredients to fish is affected by a variety of factors including ingredient quality and processing. Limited information is available regarding the digestibility of nutrients in feedstuffs for sunshine bass Morone chrysops♀×M. saxatilis♂. This information is particularly needed to improve the accuracy of diet formulations and allow appropriate substitution of feedstuffs. Therefore, a study was conducted with advanced sunshine bass fingerlings (50–75 g) to determine the apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) for protein, lipid, carbohydrate, gross energy, and organic matter in a variety of feedstuffs in extrusion‐processed diets. Included in the study were low‐temperature processed menhaden fish meal (Select®), meat and bone meal, fish meal analog (PROPAK?) dehulled soybean meal, cottonseed meal, corn grain, sorghum, wheat flour, wheat middlings, and rice bran. Test diets consisted of a 70:30 mixture of reference diet to test ingredient with chromic oxide (0.8%) as the inert marker. Reference and test diet ingredients were mixed in a commercial ribbon blender, preconditioned and extruded on a Wenger X‐20 to produce a neutrally buoyant pellet (5 mm). The digestibility trials were conducted in six 600‐L rectangular tanks connected as a closed recirculating brackish (5–7 ppt) water system. Diets were randomly assigned to tanks of 45–50 sunshine bass and fed twice daily to satiation. Feedstuffs of high‐protein and high‐lipid content were better digested by sunshine bass than feedstuffs of high carbohydrate or high fiber content. Organic matter digestibility ranged from 42% for both sorghum and corn to 96% and 98% for meat and bone meal and Select? menhaden fish meal, respectively. Select? menhaden fish meal and meat and bone meal appeared to be the best Ingredients for sunshine bass diets in terms of overall nutrient profiles and digestibility of nutrients. The fish meal analog did not perform as favorably as the other two animal products. Protein and lipid of cottonseed meal were highly available to sunshine bass with ADCs of 85% and 92%, respectively. Protein digestibility was high for soybean meal (77%), whereas the digestibility of organic matter (51%), lipid (54%), carbohydrate (25%) and energy (56%) in this feedstuff was moderately low. Energy in wheat middlings and wheat also was moderately available at 67% and 59%, respectively. Energy in sorghum and corn was much less available at 44% and 40%, respectively. Digestibility of nutrients and energy in rice bran exceeded 90%. Use of this information should aid the development of more efficient and economical diet formulations for sunshine bass.     

Selenium nutrition of hybrid striped bass (Morone chrysops × M. saxatilis) bioavailability, toxicity and interaction with vitamin E

Two concurrent 12-week feeding trials were conducted to evaluate the bioavailability of inorganic sodium selenite and organic seleno-DL-methionine and to investigate the potential interaction between selenium and vitamin E in juvenile hybrid striped bass. In experiment 1, purified diets utilizing casein, gelatin and an amino acid premix as protein sources with a basal selenium concentration of 0.11 mg Se   kg⁻¹ were supplemented with either Na₂SeO₃ to provide selenium concentrations of 1.19, 2.00, 5.17 and 21.23 mg Se kg⁻¹ or with seleno-DL-methionine to provide 0.90, 1.26 and 2.55 mg Se kg⁻¹ and fed to juvenile hybrid striped bass in aquaria. A second experiment evaluated potential interactions by feeding these purified diets with or without supplemental vitamin E or sodium selenite, singularly or in combination. No overt selenium deficiency signs were exhibited by fish in either of the experiments; however, signs of selenium toxicity including retarded weight gain (WG), reduced feed intake and feed efficiency ratio (FER) as well as increased mortality, were observed in fish fed the diet containing more than 20 mg Se kg⁻¹. Whole-body selenium and whole-body selenium retention were linearly influenced by sodium selenite and selenomethionine. However, there was no significant effect of dietary selenium, vitamin E or their interaction on WG, FER and survival. Slope-ratio analysis showed that bioavailability of seleno-DL-methionine as a selenium source for juvenile hybrid striped bass was significantly ( P  < 0.01) higher (3.3-fold) than sodium selenite.     

Dietary cholesterol and lecithin have limited effects on growth and body composition of hybrid striped bass (Morone chrysops × M. saxatilis)

The effects of cholesterol and lecithin on growth and body composition of juvenile hybrid striped bass ( Morone chrysops  ×  M. saxatilis ) were investigated by feeding juvenile hybrids (initial weight 5.0 g) diets containing cholesterol at either 0 or 1% and lecithin at either 0, 2, 4, or 6% in a 2 × 4 factorial design. Each of the eight diets was fed to fish in triplicate 38-L aquaria maintained as a brackish water recirculating system for 8 weeks. Weight gain, feed efficiency, muscle ratio and hepatosomatic index were not significantly ( P  > 0.05) affected by dietary supplementation of cholesterol or lecithin. Supplementation of the diet with lecithin at 4 and 6% significantly ( P  < 0.05) decreased intraperitoneal fat accumulation regardless of dietary cholesterol level. Neither muscle nor liver lipid levels were significantly altered by dietary supplementation of cholesterol or lecithin although both liver and plasma lipid classes were affected. Dietary cholesterol decreased concentrations of liver and plasma free fatty acids and liver phospholipids while increasing concentrations of liver triglycerides and plasma phospholipids. Dietary lecithin did not consistently affect plasma and liver lipid classes although changes in phospholipid levels approaching significance ( P =0.0502 and P =0.0513, respectively) were observed. Thus it is concluded that dietary supplementation with cholesterol or lecithin had no substantial beneficial effects on growth or body composition of juvenile hybrid striped bass.     

Significant Augmentation of Sunshine Bass Morone chrysops x M. saxatilis Fillet Highly Unsaturated Fatty Acid Content without Impact on Oxidative Stability or Sensory Attributes

We evaluated production performance, fillet composition, and sensory integrity of sunshine bass (Morone chrysops x M. saxatilis) fed a marine oil-based finishing feed after being raised on a plant oil-based production feed. Two feeds containing either corn oil (CO) or menhaden oil (MO) were fed to sunshine bass according to different feeding regimens at the close of the production cycle: control groups were fed the CO or the MO feeds exclusively; remaining groups were transitioned from the CO feed to the MO feed at 4-, 8- or 12-week intervals. Replacing MO with CO yielded fillets with distinctly different fatty acid profiles; however, finishing with an MO-based feed for 4–8 weeks offered significant compensation for reductions in fillet nutritional quality. Production performance and fillet sensory characteristics were largely unaffected by dietary lipid source, suggesting fillet fatty acid profile can be manipulated to maximize nutritional value of cultured fillets without reducing consumer acceptance.     

Amino acid availability from animal, blended, and plant feedstuffs for hybrid striped bass (Morone chrysops × M. saxatilis)

The refinement of hybrid striped bass feed formulations has been progressing rapidly. There is still, however, limited information available regarding nutrient digestibility and amino acid availability from common feedstuffs. A pair of experiments was conducted to determine the protein digestibility and amino acid availability to sunshine bass from an assortment of commercially available animal protein feedstuffs, blended animal products and plant protein feedstuffs in extruded diets. The feedstuffs tested were blood meal, poultry by‐product meal, fish solubles, Pro‐Pak 60, Pro‐Pak 65, ProCon 65RDB, and 60FMC for the animal protein feedstuffs and brewer's yeast, canola meal, peanut meal, and sunflower meal for the plant protein feedstuffs. Test diets consisted of a mixture of nutritionally complete reference diet and test ingredient. Triplicate tanks of fish were fed their respective diets for 7 days prior to collection of faeces by stripping. Apparent digestibility coefficients of protein (ADC‐CP) in the animal products ranged from 47% for 60FMC to a high of 70% for fish solubles. ADC‐CPs for animal products were not different across products. Blood meal, poultry by‐product meal, Pro‐Pak 60, Pro‐Pak 65, and ProCon had intermediate ADC‐CPs of 63, 55, 63, 57 and 52%, respectively. ADC‐CP in plant feedstuffs ranged from 43% for canola meal to 80% for peanut meal. Brewer's yeast, canola meal, and sunflower meal had intermediate ADC‐CPs at 54, 43 and 69%, respectively. Apparent amino acid availability coefficients were variable across animal products and did not necessarily correlate to the ADC‐CPs for a given feedstuff. Isoleucine availability was low in blood meal at 38% compared with 59% or better for the remaining amino acids. Lysine, tyrosine and phenylalanine availability from fish solubles was low at 31, 35 and 44%, respectively. Amino acid availability from Pro‐Pak 60 was consistently higher across all amino acids for the animal products and blends tested. Of the plant products tested, peanut meal was the best performing feedstuff relative to amino acid availability.     

Dietary Vitamin C Requirement of Hybrid Striped Bass Morone chrysops♀× M. saxatilis ♂

A feeding trial was conducted to determine the dietary vitamin C requirement of juvenile hybrid striped bass Morone chrysops × M. saxatilis . Fish were fed a semi-purified basal diet with 40% crude protein and an energy to protein ratio of 8 kcal/g for a conditioning period of 2 wk. This diet which was not supplemented with vitamin C contained approximately 6-mg vitamin C/kg. Following conditioning, fish (approximately 0.55 g initial weight) were stocked as groups of 20 in 38-L aquaria and fed the basal diet and experimental diets supplemented with 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 75, or 150-mg vitamin C/kg as ascorbate polyphosphate for a period of 10 wk. Fish fed the basal diet and the diet supplemented with 10-mg vitamin C/kg exhibited signs of vitamin C deficiency including suppressed weight gain, reduced plasma and liver ascorbic acid levels, and abnormalities in isthmus cartilage formation. Plasma and liver ascorbic acid levels generally reflected dietary supplementation with the lowest levels occurring in fish fed the basal diet and higher levels in fish fed the supplemented diets. The minimum dietary requirement (±SE) based on non-linear least squares regression analysis of weight gain was 22 (±6) mg vitamin C/kg diet.     

Hepatic glucose utilization and lipogenesis of hybrid striped bass (Morone chrysops × Morone saxatilis) in response to dietary carbohydrate level and complexity

The influence of carbohydrate level and complexity on in vitro hepatic glucose utilization and lipogenesis were determined in hybrid striped bass, Morone chrysops ♀ × Morone saxatilis ♂. Six isocaloric, isonitrogenous diets containing glucose, maltose, or dextrin at two different levels (200 or 400 g kg^?1 diet) were fed to adult fish for 15 weeks. Liver explants were obtained at near‐maximum postprandial glycaemic response and incubated with radioactive labelled substrates. Glycogen synthesis from [¹⁴C]glucose was not different among treatments and was less than ¹⁴CO₂ formation. ¹⁴CO₂ production increased as a function of carbohydrate level but was unrelated to carbohydrate complexity. There was no detectable conversion of [¹⁴C]glucose to lactate for any treatment. Rates of de novo lipogenesis from [1‐¹⁴C]acetate were high in comparison to [U‐¹⁴C]glucose or [9,10‐³H]palmitate incorporation into liver lipids and differed in response to carbohydrate level and complexity. [9,10‐³H]palmitate esterification was an order of magnitude less than glycogen and CO₂ production but 4–10 times greater than [¹⁴C]glucose incorporation into liver lipids. Palmitate incorporation did not differ among treatments. Incorporation of [¹⁴C]glucose into liver lipids was higher in fish fed diets containing 400 g kg^?1 carbohydrate. These data support the idea that glucose is not a major oxidative substrate in hybrid striped bass and indicate that the level of soluble carbohydrate should be limited to 200 g kg^?1 diet or less for hybrid striped bass.