Effects of ration level on growth,nitrogenous excretion and energy budget of juvenile yellow catfish,Pelteobagrus fulvidraco (Richardson)

Growth, nitrogenous excretion and energy budget of juvenile yellow catfish, Pelteobagrus fulvidraco (initial body weight 1.17 ± 0.28 g) at various levels (50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90% and 100% satiation per day) were investigated with feeding diet containing 40% protein. Specific growth rate of yellow catfish increased (2.79–3.34% day) significantly (P<0.05) with ration level (RL) increasing. Feed conversion efficiency, feed protein retention efficiency and feed energy retention efficiency increased with the increase in RL, peaked at 70% of satiation, and then decreased at higher ration, with the ranges of 78.97–97.28%, 31.31–37.93% and 26.55–31.88% respectively. Both nitrogenous excretion (u, mg g^?1 day^?1) and faecal production (f, mg g^?1 day^?1) increased significantly with the increased RL, and ranged between 0.94–1.38 and 0.69–1.24 mg g^?1 day^?1 respectively. Apparent digestibility coefficients in dry matter, protein, energy decreased significantly as ration increased, with ranges of 54.42–69.64%, 78.24–89.90% and 69.66–82.07% respectively. Energy budgets of juvenile yellow catfish at satiation RL was: 100C=30F+8U+33R+29G or 100A=54R+46G.