Dietary l‐lysine requirement of juvenile Chinese sucker,Myxocyprinus asiaticus

An 8‐week feeding trial was conducted to quantify the dietary l ‐lysine requirement of juvenile Chinese sucker with an initial weight of 1.81 ± 0.04 g reared in indoor flow‐through and aerated tanks. Six isonitrogenous and isoenergetic practical diets were formulated to contain graded levels of lysine (1.23%, 1.80%, 2.39%, 2.98%, 3.56% and 4.18% dry matter) at 0.6% increments from dietary ingredients and crystalline l ‐lysine. Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicate groups of 30 fish each and was fed to apparent satiation by hand three times a day (09:00, 13:00 and 17:00 hours) for 8 weeks. There were significant differences in growth performance and feed utilization among the treatments. Weight gain (WG), specific growth rate and protein efficiency ratio (PER) significantly increased with increasing lysine levels up to 2.39% of diet (P < 0.05) and remained nearly the same thereafter (P > 0.05). Feed efficiency was the poorest for fish fed the lowest lysine diet (P < 0.05) and showed no significant differences when dietary lysine level increased from 2.39% to 4.18%. The N retention (% N intake) significantly increased with dietary lysine level but did not attain a plateau (P < 0.05). Survival could not be related to dietary treatments. Whole body protein increased (P < 0.05) and whole body lipid decreased (P < 0.05) with increasing dietary lysine level. The condition factor and hepatosomatic index were significantly affected by dietary lysine levels, however, viscersomatic index, whole body moisture and ash did not differ significantly among dietary treatments. Broken‐line analysis on the basis of WG and PER showed that dietary lysine requirements of juvenile Chinese sucker were 2.43% and 2.40% dry diet (5.52% and 5.45% dietary protein) respectively. Based on the ideal protein approach and the A/E ratios determined from muscle amino acid profile an estimation of the EAA requirements of Chinese sucker juveniles were calculated.     

Dietary phosphorus requirement of juvenile Chinese sucker,Myxocyprinus asiaticus

A growth trial was conducted to estimate the optimum requirement of dietary available phosphorus (P) for Chinese sucker juveniles. Triplicate groups of juveniles Chinese sucker (initial mean weight: 1.77 ± 0.02 g, mean ± SD) were fed diets containing graded levels (3.1, 5.3, 7.5, 9.6 and 11.8 g kg^?1) of available phosphorus. The basal diet (diet 1), containing 3.1 g kg^?1 available P, was supplemented with graded levels of monocalcium phosphate to formulate four experimental diets. The fish were fed twice daily (08:00 and 17:00 h) to satiation for 8 weeks. During the experimental period, the water temperature fluctuated from 27.5 to 30.5 °C and dissolved oxygen was more than 6 mg L^?1. The specific growth rate, protein efficiency ratio were all significantly increased by dietary available phosphorus up to 7.5 g kg^?1 (P < 0.05) and then levelled off beyond this level. Feed conversion ratio significantly decreased with dietary available phosphorus level up to 7.5 g kg^?1 (P < 0.05). Dietary treatments did not significantly affect feed intake (P > 0.05). Efficiency of phosphorus (P) utilization significantly decreased with dietary available phosphorus level (P < 0.05). Body composition analysis showed that the whole‐body lipid, ash, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) contents were all significantly affected by dietary available P concentration (P < 0.05); however, no significance were found for manganese (Mn) concentration and calcium/phosphorus (Ca/P) ratios in whole‐body among all the treatments (P > 0.05). Dietary phosphorus levels also significantly affected the mineralization of vertebrae and scale (P < 0.05), and Ca/P ratios in scale were not influenced by dietary P supplementation, while vertebrae Ca/P ratio decreased with dietary available P levels (P < 0.05) (quadratic effect, P < 0.001). Signs of phosphorus deficiency were characterized by poor growth, slightly reduced mineralization and an increase in body lipid content. The blood chemistry analysis showed that dietary available P had distinct effects on enzyme activities of alkaline phosphatase, as well as contents of triacyglycerol and total cholesterol (P < 0.05). Broken‐line analysis based on weight gain indicated the minimum available phosphorus requirement for the optimal growth of juvenile Chinese sucker was 7.4 g kg^?1. Based on the phosphorus content in whole body, vertebrae or scale indicated that the requirements were 8.3, 8.8 and 8.6 g kg^?1 respectively.     

Dietary vitamin C requirement of juvenile Chinese sucker (Myxocyprinus asiaticus)

An 8‐week growth experiment was conducted to quantify the appropriate dietary vitamin C requirement of juvenile Chinese sucker (Myxocyprinus asiaticus). Triplicate groups of 30 experimental fish [initial body weight: (7.1 ± 0.3) g] were cultured in 500 L aquaria and fed with semi‐purified diets containing six levels [10.1 (unsupplemented diet), 37.4, 64.9, 125.2, 244.2 and 482.0 mg kg^?1 diet, respectively] of vitamin C (supplied as L‐ascorbyl‐2‐polyphosphate). Results showed that weight gain of Chinese sucker was significantly increased with increasing dietary vitamin C levels, but there was no significant difference of weight gain among fish fed the diets containing more than 125.2 mg kg^?1 vitamin C. As dietary vitamin C increased, the liver vitamin C content of fish showed the increasing trend firstly and then stabled, while the muscle vitamin C content significantly increased without reaching a constant level. Lower liver malondialdehyde content was observed in 125.2, 244.2 and 482.0 mg kg^?1 vitamin C groups, and higher antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase activities were observed in supplemented groups when compared to the unsupplemented group. Liver aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase activities were also significant affected by dietary vitamin C. Ash content of fish fed the diet with 244.2 or 482.0 mg kg^?1 vitamin C was significantly higher than that of fish fed the other diets. However, dietary vitamin C had no significant effects on whole‐body crude protein, lipid and moisture contents. The vitamin C requirement of juvenile Chinese sucker was estimated to be 84.6 and 126.1 mg kg^?1 based on weight gain and liver vitamin C concentration respectively.     

Dietary methionine requirement of juvenile Pseudobagrus ussuriensis

An 8‐week feeding trial was conducted to determine the optimum dietary methionine (Met) requirement of juvenile Pseudobagrus ussuriensis with an initial average weight of 0.60 g reared in indoor flow‐through and aerated aquaria. Six isonitrogenous (430 g kg^?1 protein) and isolipidic (50 g kg^?1 lipid) test diets were formulated to contain graded levels of crystalline L‐methionine (4.9, 9.0, 11.8, 14.2, 18.1 and 20.8 g kg^?1 dry diets, respectively) at a constant dietary cystine level of 2.5 g kg^?1 dry diets. Equal amino acid nitrogen was maintained by replacing methionine with non‐essential amino acid mixture. Fish were randomly allotted to 18 aquaria (1.0 × 0.5 × 0.8 m) with 50 fish to each glass aquarium. Fish were fed twice daily (08:00 and 16:00) to apparent satiation. No significant difference was observed in survival of fish (84.67–91.33%). Specific growth rate (SGR), weight gain (WG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein productive value (PPV) and protein efficiency ratio (PER) were significantly affected by different dietary methionine levels (P < 0.05). WG, SGR PPV and PER increased, while FCR decreased with increasing dietary methionine level from 4.9 to 11.8 g kg^?1 (P < 0.05). However, with further increase from 11.8 to 20.8 g kg^?1, WG, SGR PPV and PER significantly decreased, FCR increased (P < 0.05). The whole body and muscle composition were affected by different dietary methionine levels (P < 0.05). Condition factor (CF) increased with increasing dietary methionine levels up to 11.8 g kg^?1 (P < 0.05) and after 11.8 g kg^?1 methionine diet, but not significant, declines were observed (P > 0.05). Hepatosomatic index (HSI) of the 4.9, 9.0, 11.8 and 14.2 g kg^?1 Met diets was significantly higher than that of fish fed diets 18.1 and 20.8 g kg^?1 Met diets (P < 0.05). Viscerosomatic index (VSI) of the 4.9, 9.0 and 11.8 g kg^?1 Met diets was significantly higher than that of fish fed diets 14.2, 18.1 and 20.8 g kg^?1 Met diets (P < 0.05). Quadratic regression analysis of WG and PER against dietary methionine levels indicated that the optimal dietary methionine requirement for maximum growth and feed utilization of juvenile Pseudobagrus ussuriensis was 14.3 and 14.1 g kg^?1 dry diet (35.3 and 34.8 g kg^?1 dietary protein), respectively, in the presence of 2.5 g kg^?1 dry diets cystine.     

Effects of dietary protein to energy ratios on growth and body composition of juvenile Chinese sucker,Myxocyprinus asiaticus

A growth experiment was conducted to investigate effect of dietary protein to energy ratios on growth and body composition of juvenile Myxocyprinus asiaticus (initial mean weight: 10.04 ± 0.53 g, mean ± SD). Nine practical diets were formulated to contain three protein levels (340, 390 and 440 g kg^?1), each with three lipid levels (60, 100 and 140 g kg^?1), in order to produce a range of P/E ratios (from 22.4 to 32.8 mg protein kJ^?1). Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicate groups of 20 fish in 400‐L indoors flow‐through circular fibre glass tanks provided with sand‐filtered aerated freshwater. The results showed that the growth was significantly affected by dietary P/E ratio (P < 0.05). Fish fed the diets with 440 g kg^?1 protein (100 and 140 g kg^?1 lipid, P/E ratio of 31.43 and 29.22 mg protein kJ^?1) had the highest specific growth rates (SGR) (2.16 and 2.27% day^?1, respectively). However, fish fed the diet with 390 g kg^?1 protein and 140 g kg^?1 lipid showed comparable growth (2.01% day^?1), and had higher protein efficiency ratio (PER), protein productive value (PPV) and energy retention (ER) than other groups (P < 0.05). No significant differences in survival were found among dietary treatments. Carcass lipid content was positively correlated with dietary lipid level, but irrespective of protein level and inversely correlated with carcass moisture content. Carcass protein contents increased with increasing dietary lipid at each protein level. The white muscle and liver composition showed that lipid increased with increasing dietary lipid level (P < 0.05). Dietary protein concentrations had significant effect on condition factor (CF), hepatosomatic index (HSI) and viscerosomatic index (VSI) (P < 0.05). However, dietary lipid concentrations had no significant effect on CF, HSI (P > 0.05). Based on these observations, 440 g kg^?1 protein with lipid from 100 to 140 g kg^?1 (P/E ratio of 29.22 to 31.43 mg protein kJ^?1) seemed to meet minimum requirement for optimal growth and feed utilization, and lipid could cause protein‐sparing effect in diets for juvenile Chinese sucker.     

饲料脂肪水平对胭脂鱼幼鱼生长、体组成和抗氧化能力的影响

试验选用体重(6.73±0.21)g的胭脂鱼(Myxocyprinus asiaticus)幼鱼540尾,随机分成6个组,每组3个重复,每个重复30尾试验鱼。以大豆油为脂肪源,配制成脂肪水平为2.04%、4.43%、6.88%、9.02%、11.98%、13.39%的半精制饲料,进行为期56 d的生长试验,研究脂肪水平对胭脂鱼幼鱼生长、体组成及机体抗氧化能力的影响。结果显示:饲料脂肪水平对胭脂鱼的生长性能有显著影响(P<0.05)。脂肪水平为6.88%时,胭脂鱼增重率、特定生长率、蛋白质沉积效率最高,饲料系数最低。脂肪沉积效率随脂肪水平的增加呈下降趋势。随脂肪水平增加,胭脂鱼全鱼、肌肉和肝胰脏脂肪含量逐渐上升,至6.88%组后稳定,而全鱼水分、粗蛋白含量没有显著变化(P>0.05)。胭脂鱼机体抗氧化能力随着脂肪水平的增加呈现先升后降趋势,脂肪水平为6.88%时,总抗氧化能力(T-AOC)、超氧物歧化酶(SOD)值最大,丙二醛(MDA)值最小,即抗氧化能力最强。以增重率、特定生长率和饲料系数进行回归分析并考虑脂肪水平对胭脂鱼营养组成和抗氧化能力的影响,确定胭脂鱼幼鱼适宜脂肪水平为6.62%~7.02%。     

中国胭脂鱼的细胞遗传学分析

采用植物血凝素、秋水仙素活体注射和肾细胞直接制片法分析了中国胭脂鱼(Myxiocyprinus asiaticus)的染色体核型和Ag-NORs显带;并以中国胭脂鱼血细胞为样本,鸡血细胞DNA含量为标准(2.50 pg),用流式细胞仪测定了中国胭脂鱼的 DNA 含量.结果表明:(1)中国胭脂鱼染色体数目2n=100,核型公式为10 m+4 sm+12 st+74 t, NF=114,未观察到次缢痕及随体,亦未发现有性染色体.(2)中国胭脂鱼染色体具有1对Ag-NORs,位于第1对染色体短臂上,间期核中Ag-NORs的数目为1~2个,未见Ag-NORs的联合现象.(3)PI和DAPI作为荧光染料,得出中国胭脂鱼DNA含量分别为5.50±0.24 pg和6.16±0.03 pg.(4)中国胭脂鱼为四倍体,在特定的分类阶元中属于较原始的鱼类.     

Effects of feeding levels on growth performance,feed utilization,body composition and apparent digestibility coefficients of nutrients for juvenile Chinese sucker,Myxocyprinus asiaticus

An experiment was conducted to determine effects of feeding levels on growth performance, feed utilization, nutrient deposition, body composition and apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) of nutrients for juvenile Chinese sucker (initial weight, 11.77±0.22 g). Chinese sucker were fed a practical diet from 0% (starvation) to 4.0% (at 0.5% increments) body weight (bw) day^?1 for 8 weeks. The results showed that growth performance, feed utilization, nutrient deposition, body composition and ADCs of dry matter, protein and energy were significantly (P<0.05) affected by feeding levels. Survival was the lowest for the starvation group. Final mean body weight, growth rate, thermal‐unit growth coefficient (TGC) increased with feeding rate from 0% to 3.0% bw day^?1 (P<0.05) and showed no significant differences above the level (P>0.05). Feed conversion rate was significantly lower at a feeding level of 2.5% bw day^?1 than above and below the level (P<0.05). Protein efficiency ratio was markedly highest at the 2.5% bw day^?1 ration level (P<0.05). Fish fed at the feeding level (1.0% bw day^?1), which represented a maintenance ration (energy gain was less than 2.27 kJ fish^?1 day^?1), showed positive protein deposition but negative lipid deposition. This indicates that fish fed a maintenance ration mobilize body lipid reserve to support protein deposition. Lipid contents of whole body, muscle and liver increased with increasing feeding rates from 0.5% to 3.0% bw day^?1 and showed no significant differences above the level (P>0.05). Protein contents of whole‐body composition increased with feeding rate from 0.5 to 3.0% bw day^?1 (P<0.05) and showed no significant differences above the level (P>0.05), whereas muscle and liver remained relatively stable with the different ration amount with the exception of fish fed a ration of 0.5% bw day^?1, at which Chinese sucker possessed significantly lower body protein concentration (P<0.05). The ADCs of dry matter, protein and energy decreased with increasing feeding levels from 0.5% to 3.0% bw day^?1 and then remained relatively constant over the level. Based on the broken‐line regression analysis using WG data, the optimum and maintenance feeding levels for Chinese sucker were 3.10% bw day^?1 and 0.45% bw day^?1 respectively.     

Partial replacement of fish meal by soybean meal with or without methionine and phytase supplement in diets for juvenile Chinese sucker,Myxocyprinus asiaticus

This study was designed to evaluate the effects of using soybean meal supplemented with or without methionine (M) and graded levels of phytase (P) to replace high‐level (60%) fish meal in the diets for juvenile Chinese sucker. Seven experimental diets (about 430 g kg^?1 crude protein on dry matter basis) were formulated from practical ingredients. The control diet (FM) was formulated to contain 400 g kg^?1 white fish meal (FM), whereas in the other six diets (diets 2–7), soybean meal (SBM) was used to replace 60% fish meal with or without methionine (3 g kg ^?1) and 0,500, 1000, 1500 and 2000 U kg^?1 phytase (designated as SBM, SM, SMP500, SMP1000, SMP1500 and SMP2000, respectively). Results from the feeding trial indicated that SBM without any methionine or phytase supplement replacing about 60% FM significantly affected the growth of fish (P < 0.05). Weight gain of fish fed diet SM was significantly higher than the fish fed diet SBM, but still much lower than fish fed the control diet (P < 0.05). SBM with methionine and phytase supplement significantly improved the growth of fish and apparent digestibility coefficients of phosphorus compared with the groups which fed diet SBM and diet SM (P < 0.05). Weight gain of fish fed SMP1000, SMP1500 and SMP2000 had no significant difference than fish fed control diet. Furthermore, fish fed SMP1500 showed optimum weight gain and ADC of phosphorus between these three groups. This suggested that soybean meal with 3 g kg^?1 methionine and 1500 U kg^?1 phytase supplement could successfully replace 60% fish meal in the diet for juvenile Chinese sucker without affecting growth and enhanced the apparent digestibility coefficient of phosphorus.     

Dietary lysine requirement of juvenile Pseudobagrus ussuriensis

An 8‐week feeding trial was conducted to determine dietary lysine requirement of juvenile Pseudobagrus ussuriensis (initial body weight: 0.60 g). Six isonitrogenous (crude protein, 400 g/kg) and isolipidic (crude lipid, 50 g/kg) diets were formulated to contain graded levels of dietary lysine (12.8, 19.9, 26.5, 34.0, 40.8 and 44.1 g/kg dry diets, respectively). The results indicated that weight gain, specific growth rate, productive protein value and protein efficiency ratio increased, while feed conversion ratio decreased with increasing dietary lysine level up to 34.0 g/kg dry diet and then levelled off. Fish fed diet with 12.8 g/kg lysine had the lowest lysine content (58.6 g/kg dry matter) in muscle, while fish fed diet with 34.0 g/kg lysine had the highest value (61.6 g/kg dry matter; p < .05). Broken‐line analysis on the basis of weight gain showed that the optimal dietary lysine requirement for maximum growth of juvenile Pseudobagras ussuriensis is 33.5 g/kg dry diet (82.4 g/kg dietary protein). Quadratic regression analysis of protein efficiency ratio against dietary lysine levels indicated that the optimal dietary lysine requirement of juvenile Pseudobagras ussuriensis is 36.4 g/kg dry diet (89.5 g/kg dietary protein).     

Minimum water exchange spares the requirement for dietary methionine for juvenile Litopenaeus vannamei reared under intensive outdoor conditions

We examined if minimum water exchange could spare dietary methionine (Met) required for maximum growth performance of juvenile Litopenaeus vannamei reared in an intensive outdoor system. Shrimp of 1.98 ± 0.13 g were stocked at 70 animals/m² and reared for 72 days in 50 tanks of 1 m³ under flow‐through (14.4% a day) and static (1.4%–2.9% a day) green‐water conditions at 32.0 ± 3.7 g/L salinity. Five diets with a minimum inclusion of fishmeal supplemented with a dipeptide, dl ‐methionyl‐dl ‐methionine, were formulated to contain increasing levels of Met, 4.8, 6.2, 7.2, 8.1 or 9.4 g/kg (on a dry matter basis). Each of the five diets were fed four times daily to five replicate groups. Dietary Met and water exchange significantly influenced shrimp survival, gained yield, apparent feed intake, food conversion ratio and final body weight (p < .05). Raising shrimp under limited water exchange, i.e., static versus flow‐through spared the dependence on higher levels of dietary Met to maximize shrimp body weight, from 9.4 g/kg to 8.0 g/kg (14.0 and 12.6 g/kg Met+Cys respectively). In an intensive rearing system, a reduction in water exchange is desirable as it leads to a lower need for supplemental dietary Met.     

Dietary lysine requirement of juvenile Protonibea diacanthus

An 8‐week experiment was conducted to determine the optimal dietary lysine requirement for juvenile Protonibea diacanthus. Six isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets were formulated to contain levels of 10.8 (L10.8), 18.2 (L18.2), 26.1 (L26.1), 33.9 (L33.9), 40.7 (L40.7) and 48.6 g/kg (L48.6) of diets and were fed to the juvenile Protonibea diacanthus, respectively. The results indicated that weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR), protein efficiency ratio (PER) and final weight (FW) increased as the dietary lysine level increased from 10.8 to 26.1 g/kg and then decreased as the dietary lysine levels further increased (p < .05). The lowest feed conversion ratio (FCR) was found when dietary lysine level was 26.1 g/kg. Analysis of specific growth rate by two slope broken‐line model indicated that the estimated optimal dietary levels of lysine for juvenile Protonibea diacanthus was 23.06 g/kg (51.24 g/kg dietary protein).     

克氏原螯虾的适宜蛋氨酸需求量

以酪蛋白、明胶、鱼粉、小麦面筋粉和晶体氨基酸为蛋白源配制了6组蛋白质水平为28.25%、能量为16.07 kJ/g的等氮等能的半纯合饲料, 各组蛋氨酸实际含量分别为0.39%、0.53%、0.71%、0.86%、0.98%和1.13%。以初始体质量为(9.80±0.15) g的克氏原螯虾(Proambarus clakii)为试验对象, 每组设4个重复, 每个重复12尾虾。养殖试验于室外网箱(规格为60 cm×60 cm×60 cm)中进行, 饲养周期为56 d。结果表明, 当饲料中蛋氨酸水平由0.39%升高至1.13%时, 克氏原鳌虾的增重率、特定生长率和饲料效率均显著升高(P<0.05)。当蛋氨酸水平为0.86%时, 三者均达到最大值。当蛋氨酸水平进一步升高时, 三者均呈下降趋势。试验各组的成活率为83.33%~91.67%, 但无显著差异(P>0.05)。当蛋氨酸水平为0.86%时, 全虾粗蛋白含量最高, 其显著高于0.39%组(P<0.05)。日粮蛋氨酸水平对全虾的水分、灰分和脂肪含量以及肝胰脏组成和肌肉氨基酸组成均无显著影响(P>0.05)。肌肉粗脂肪含量以蛋氨酸水平0.98%组最低, 其显著低于0.39%组(P<0.05)。饲料中蛋氨酸水平显著影响肠道蛋白酶的活性(P<0.05), 但对脂肪酶和淀粉酶活性均无显著影响(P>0.05)。以增重率为评价指标进行一元二次回归分析, 得出克氏原螯虾的适宜蛋氨酸需求量为0.94%, 占饲料蛋白质的3.36%。本研究通过分析饲料中不同蛋氨酸水平对克氏原螯虾生长、饲料利用、虾体组成、肌肉氨基酸组成和消化酶活性的影响, 确定克氏原螯虾的适宜蛋氨酸需求量, 以期为其人工配合饲料的研制提供基础数据和理论依据。

     

Dietary methionine requirement for juvenile rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli

A 65‐day growth trial was conducted at 19.5 °C to determine the optimal dietary methionine for juvenile rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli. Semipurified diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isoenergetic. Fish meal was used as intact protein source and crystal amino acid was used as a part of dietary protein. Six experimental diets were formulated to contain 5.8, 10.8, 15.8, 20.8, 25.8 and 30.8 g kg⁻¹ dietary methionine. The results showed that dietary methionine significantly affected specific growth rate, weight gain, food conversion ratio, protein productive value (PPV), energy retention efficiency, carcass index and body composition. No significant difference was found in hepatosomatic index. The dietary methionine requirement for maximum growth was 13.7 g kg⁻¹ dry matter or 28.0 g kg⁻¹ of dietary protein when cystine content was 1.2 g kg⁻¹ dry matter.     

Dietary methionine requirement of juvenile blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala) at a constant dietary cystine level

A 9‐week feeding trial was conducted to investigate the dietary methionine requirement of juvenile Megalobrama amblycephala at a constant dietary cystine level. Six semipurified diets were formulated to contain graded dietary methionine levels from 3.9 to 15.4 g kg^?1 in about 2.5 g kg^?1 increments in the presence of 2.2 g kg^?1 cystine. Results showed that specific growth rate (SGR) and protein efficiency ratio (PER) significantly increased with increasing dietary methionine levels from 3.9 to 12.4 g kg^?1 and thereafter kept stable. Maximum protein productive value (PPV), nitrogen retention efficiency (NRE) and liver weight were observed in 8.5 g methionine kg^?1 diet. Protein contents in whole fish body were positively correlated with dietary methionine level, while lipid contents were negatively correlated with it. Morphological index and hepatic glutamate‐pyruvate transaminase (GPT) activities were independent of dietary methionine levels. However, dietary methionine supplementation significantly improved haematological parameters, plasma methionine and total essential amino acid contents and hepatic glutamate‐oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) activities. Analysis of dose response using broken‐line regression on the basis of SGR and PPV versus dietary methionine level estimated the optimum dietary methionine requirements of juvenile M. amblycephala to be between 8.5 and 8.4 g kg^?1 of diet (25.0 and 24.7 g kg^?1 of protein) in the presence of 2.2 g kg^?1 cystine, respectively. Hence, the corresponding total sulphur amino acids requirements of this species were calculated to be 10.7 and 10.6 g kg^?1 of diet (31.5 and 31.2 g kg^?1 of dietary protein).     

The effect of dietary methionine concentrations on growth performance of juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fed diets with two different digestible energy levels

A growth trial was conducted to examine the effect of dietary digestible energy (DE) content on methionine (Met) utilization and requirement in juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Ten iso‐nitrogenous (288 g kg^?1 protein) practical diets, with two DE levels (10.9 MJ kg^?1; 12.4 MJ kg^?1) and five methionine supplementation levels (0, 1, 2, 4 and 6 g kg^?1), were hand‐fed twice daily to triplicate groups of Nile tilapia (initial body weight 8.95 ± 0.06 g) for 8 weeks. Weight gain (WG) and specific growth rate (SGR) increased significantly with increasing dietary methionine concentration at the same DE content (P < 0.001). At the same dietary methionine level, WG and SGR of fish fed high‐DE diets were significantly higher than that of fish fed low‐DE diets (P = 0.0001), although no interaction was found between dietary DE and methionine supplementation. Based on quadratic regression analysis between dietary methionine concentration and weight gain, optimal methionine requirement for maximum growth, expressed as g Met required kg^?1 diet (low‐ versus high‐DE diets), increased as diet DE concentration increased (7.34 versus 9.90 g kg^?1 diet, respectively; with cysteine 4.70 g kg^?1 diet). The results indicated that diet DE content affects methionine utilization and requirement in juvenile Nile tilapia, fish fed high‐DE diets required more methionine for maximum growth.     

Efficacy of crystalline methionine and microencapsulation methionine in diets for Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

An 8‐week growth trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of crystalline methionine (C‐Met) or microencapsulated methionine (M‐Met) in practical diets for Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. A high fishmeal reference diet was formulated with 15% fishmeal, and then, soybean meal (SBM) was used to replace 50% fishmeal as a low fishmeal basal diet (7.5% fishmeal). Graded levels (0.1%, 0.15% and 0.2%) of methionine originating from C‐Met or M‐Met were added to the basal diet. Each diet was randomly assigned to three tanks (40 shrimps per tank) in an indoor flow through seawater system. The results showed that the shrimp fed the basal diet with 0.15% or 0.20% methionine originating from 0.375% or 0.5% M‐Met had significantly higher final weight and weight gain as compared to shrimp fed the basal diet. The supplementation M‐Met in the basal diets resulted in increased serum ammonia in shrimp. Hepatopancreas amylase activity of shrimp showed a decreasing trend with increasing methionine supplementation, which is in contrast with the upswing trend in trypsin at pancreatic segment. This study indicated that the diets supplemented with 0.15% or 0.20% of methionine from M‐Met (0.58% or 0.65% of dietary methionine respectively) were effective in improving the nutritional value of SBM‐based diets deficient in methionine (0.48%) for the Pacific white shrimp.     

胭脂鱼听觉阈值研究

利用听性脑干反应技术, 研究了胭脂鱼(Myxocyprinus asiaticus)的听觉阈值。通过插入皮下的电极记录了10尾胭脂鱼的短纯音听觉诱发电位。结果显示, 在系统最大声强下, 胭脂鱼的听频范围为100~5 000 Hz, 其中对100~2 000 Hz的声音敏感度较高, 最敏感的频率为800 Hz, 听觉阈值约为69.8 dB。随着声强的减小, 胭脂鱼的听性脑干反应波形最大, 振幅减小, 潜伏期延长。将10尾胭脂鱼的阈值平均, 得到了胭脂鱼的听性脑干反应听力图。胭脂鱼的听力图呈“U”形, 属于典型的动物听力曲线。研究胭脂鱼的听觉阈值对胭脂鱼物种保护具有重要意义, 同时可为评估噪声对胭脂鱼的影响提供数据支持。

     

胭脂鱼幼鱼饲料中适宜的蛋白质含量和能量蛋白比的研究

以酪蛋白作为蛋白源,植物油作为脂肪能量基础来源,用糊精调节能量梯度。添加等量α-淀粉、复合预混料,用羧甲基纤维素（CMC）作为粘合剂,配制成不同梯度的蛋白质和能量的试验饲料。以增重率、蛋白质效率和饲料系数为评判依据,对体重为25.80±0.34g的胭脂鱼适宜蛋白质含量及其能量蛋白比进行了研究。结果表明：胭脂鱼幼鱼配合饲料中的适宜蛋白质含量范围为40～45,饲料的最佳能量蛋白比为460。当试验饲料蛋白质含量为41.15,能量蛋白比为460时,试验胭脂鱼获得最大增重率为73,最低的饲料系数为1.52,以及最高的蛋白质效率为1.65。     

Aeromonas hydrophila and Aeromonas veronii cause motile Aeromonas septicaemia in the cultured Chinese sucker,Myxocyprinus asiaticus

In August 2017, a serious disease causing high mortality occurred in a Myxocyprinus asiaticus aquaculture farm. According to necropsy findings, bacteriology experiments and phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA, cpn60, gyrB and rpoB genes and concatenated alignment sequences (cpn60, gyrB and rpoB genes), two isolates, that is, BBAh1 and BBAv1, were identified as Aeromonas hydrophila and Aeromonas veronii respectively. Artificial infection experiments were carried out, showing that the BBAh1 and BBAv1 strains can cause similar symptoms and have LD50 values of 1.93×10⁵ and 8.77×10⁵ cfu/g respectively. In addition, some virulent genes coding for AerA, Alt, Ast, AscV, AexT, AspA, HlyA, OmpA, Lip and FlaA were detected in the two strains. Furthermore, BBAh1 and BBAv1 showed the same sensitivities to 28 antibiotics, some of which, such as cefotaxime, aztreonam, ceftriaxone and tetracycline, may be used to control the disease. However, the strains were also resistant to many antibiotics. These results provide a scientific reference for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of motile Aeromonas septicaemia caused by A. hydrophila or A. veronii in cultured Chinese sucker.