Effect of dietary carbohydrate sources on growth performance and utilization for gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio) and Chinese longsnout catfish (Leiocassis longirostris Günther)

The nutritional function of monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides for omnivorous gibel carp and carnivorous Chinese longsnout catfish were investigated and the ability of these two species to utilize carbohydrates was compared. For each species, triplicate groups of fish were assigned to each of five groups of isoenergetic and isonitrogenous experimental diets with different carbohydrate sources: glucose, sucrose, dextrin, soluble starch (acid‐modified starch) and α‐cellulose. The carbohydrates were included at 60 g kg^?1 in Chinese longsnout catfish diets and at 200 g kg^?1 in gibel carp diets. A growth trial was carried out in a recirculation system at 27.8 ± 1.9 °C for 8 weeks. The results showed that fish with different food habits showed difference in the utilization of carbohydrate sources. For gibel carp, better specific growth rate (SGR) and feed efficiency (FE) were observed in fish fed diets containing soluble starch and cellulose, but for Chinese longsnout catfish, better SGR and FE were observed in fish fed diets containing dextrin and sucrose. Apparent digestibility coefficient of dry matter (ADC_d) and apparent digestibility coefficient of energy (ADC_e) were significantly affected by dietary carbohydrate sources in gibel carp. ADC_d and ADC_e significantly decreased as dietary carbohydrate complexity increased in Chinese longsnout catfish except that glucose diet had medium ADC_d and ADC_e. In both species, no significant difference of apparent digestibility coefficient of protein was observed between different carbohydrate sources. Dietary carbohydrate sources significantly affected body composition, and liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), pyruvate kinase (PK), glucose 6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and malic enzyme (ME) activities also varied according to dietary carbohydrate complexity. Fish with different food habits showed different abilities to synthesize liver glycogen, and the liver glycogen content in gibel carp was significantly higher than in Chinese longsnout catfish. The influence of carbohydrate source on gluconeogenesis and lipogenesis was also different in the two fish species.