Preliminary study for description of bone tissue responsiveness to prolonged dietary phosphorus deficiency in rainbow trout,Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum)

Prolonged dietary phosphorus (P) deficiency induces a generalized demineralization of bone tissues; however, the differential responsiveness of the diverse tissues to P deficiency remains unknown. Triploid all‐female juvenile rainbow trout (initial mass ~60 g) were fed two practical diets (0.26% and 0.52% digestible P for P‐deficient and P‐sufficient diets) until P‐sufficient fish reached 850 g (241 days; 12°C; 18:6 D:L). Early P‐deficient fish were fed from day 0 the low P‐diet, while late P‐deficient only started feeding at day 134. Growth performance was assessed monthly and carcass samplings were performed at day 0, 134 and 241 to assess mineralization characteristics of different tissues. Ash and content of phosphorus, calcium and magnesium of scales, operculae, ribs and vertebrae as well as the occurrence of abnormalities in ribs and vertebrae were assessed. The tissues most affected by P deficiency were: vertebrae > scales > opercula > ribs. P deficiency affects bone tissues differentially based on the physiological and biomechanical roles of the tissues. As scales were found to be a better indicator to predict abnormalities, understanding of scale metabolism could facilitate P status estimation in fish.