Growth and body composition of juvenile largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides in response to dietary protein and energy levels

To determine the dietary protein and energy requirements of juvenile largemouth bass, 1350 feed‐conditioned fishes (average weight 14.46 ± 0.81 g) were stocked in ninety 60‐L cages, set up in 1000‐L tanks at three cages/tank, and fed for 64 days with a dry, extruded feed containing six levels of crude protein (CP) (340–540 g kg^–1, with increases of 40 g kg^–1) and five levels of energy (150.7–171.7 kJ g^–1 feed, with increases of 5.2 kJ). The trial was set up in a 6 × 5 factorial, completely randomized design (n=3). Weight gain (WG), daily feed consumption (DFC), feed conversion rate (FCR), protein efficiency ratio (PER), specific growth rate (SGR), protein and energy retention were recorded and evaluated. There was no interaction between feed energy and protein levels with all parameters evaluated. Data analysis by the broken line method showed that the minimum dietary requirement for maximum daily weight gain of 8.0 g kg^–1 is 435.9 g kg^–1 CP; the best feed conversion ratio (1.04:1) was attained with a minimum of 448.2 g kg^–1 CP; a minimum of 162.1 kJ g^–1; DFC was reduced as dietary protein and energy levels increased; dietary levels of 460–500 g kg^–1 CP led to best PER (1.665); best values for protein (33.14 g 100 g^–1) and energy (26.87 g 100 g^–1) retention were observed for fish feeding on the 420 g kg^–1 CP ration. Limits of energy to protein ratio to feed largemouth bass are 25.01 and 26.89 mg protein kJ^–1, enabling feed conversion ratios of 0.96–1.10.