Supplemental effect of vitamin A in diet on the reproductive performance and egg quality of the Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus (T & S)

This study investigated supplemental effects of vitamin A in diet on reproduction of Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus (T & S). Broodstock were fed either a non‐supplemented diet (control diet; CD) or a vitamin A‐supplemented diet (supplemental diet; SD) 1 month before and during the spawning season. Both dietary groups began to spawn in mid‐January. At the beginning of spawning, no notable differences were found in spawning or egg quality between treatments. Egg production of the CD broodstock began to decrease from mid‐April and spawning stopped in late May, whereas the SD group continued to spawn until the end of June. Buoyant egg rate of the CD group was lower than that of the SD group throughout the spawning period. Hatching rate was not different between the CD and SD groups. The percentage of normal larvae in the CD group was significantly lower than in the SD group. It is concluded that a low vitamin A content in the diet has some negative effects on reproduction of flounder. The importance of supplementation of vitamin A in broodstock diet of the Japanese flounder is suggested.